What if the Professor Never Came
by Greatninjadragon
Summary: What if Leo Akaba never came to Academy? What if the dimensional war never started? What if Yuri didn't become evil? AU where even though the dimensions are separated and there's no war, Zarc is trying to become one again.
1. I Want a Rematch

The effect of En Flowers activates and with that Ray defeats Zarc. As he shouts about how it can't be, four bracelets appear on Ray's wrist and in the flashing light, both Zarc and Ray split into four and fly off to parts unknown as everything exists gets engulfed in the light and experiences a fate similar to theirs.

" _Where am I?"_

The question is asked by Ray's consciousness. It's an experience that she can't fathom but it feels like she's in four places at once and capable of being aware of everything there at said places. From all four places, she can tell that none of them were her home. She does notice something. In each one of these places, she sees some kind of energy going to different spots and sees them forming into babies. Babies that each have a card with a distinct dragon on them.

" _Those are Zarc's dragons. Wait! Why do those babies have those cards unless they're him."_

Ray starts figuring that if she's aware of things around her despite sacrificing her body and on a level she can focus on four different places at once, it's possible Zarc can too. Then the possibility of Zarc using these boys as a means to revive himself comes to mind, and the horrors she stopped repeating again.

" _No. I can't let that happen, but I can't stop him like this. No wait, I still can stop him but not as myself. Rather the four I will be. The same things going to happen to me but I need to make sure that the four I split into will be of help."_

Standard Dimension.

" _I'll have this part of me be the daughter of this man."_ Ray says referring to Shuzo. _"He's close-friends to the man who's the father of Zarc's part here so they're sure to know each other."_

Synchro Dimension.

" _An orphanage. I don't want to abandon a baby at an orphanage like she's unwanted, especially in a world like this, but I need to stop Zarc."_

As Ray looks at the next two dimensions, a dark force starts to interfere. She recognizes it easily as Zarc.

" _ **What do you think you're doing Ray?"**_ Zarc barks at her.

" _Making sure what I stopped doesn't happen ever again."_ Ray replies with no fear.

" _ **Do you think having those fragments of you can stop my revival?"**_

" _Yes. Otherwise why would you interfere?"_ While there's no physical form of the two for either to see, Ray feels that struck a nerve. However, she should have chose words better as Zarc's anger starts messing with her ability to choose where her remaining two sides will go because every time she looks for a spot where they'd most likely meet with Zarc's other pieces soon, he stops her. She'd have to think more strategically in where they go and hope they'll meet later.

Xyz Dimension.

" _This city is huge. So much that its duel school is separated into branches. Wait, from what I can tell, where you live in this city determines which branch you can attend."_ Ray scans the area and finds a family with a toddler boy. _"I'll put this part of me in the same area as Zarc's and I'll send her to this family. The child they already have is a boy of a close age so even if she doesn't meet Zarc's part, maybe she will through her brother. I hope."_

Fusion Dimension.

" _I can't find a good spot but apparently by law all children at a certain age must go to a duel school where they'll live until graduation. I hate having to drop another part of me at an orphanage but at least she'll have a reason to never want to leave the academy until she graduates. This will increase her chances of meeting Zarc's piece."_

After making the choice of where each of her counterparts will go, in each dimension, there's the crying of a baby girl. Each one clutching a bracelet of unique design and no one around them questioning whether or not the baby was there before. They act like they've always been there.

" _Zarc. You weren't always evil. You just stuck with a bad decision and it led you down the worst possible path anyone could choose. If you had someone who would listen. Someone who could tell something was wrong. Someone who fully accepted you and help you from going astray no matter what then none of this would happen. These girls have my will and I want them to meet your pieces and make sure they never go down that same road you did."_

" _ **A noble sentiment, but even good people can go to Hell and no one is promised a problem free life. These boys are all me and the moment I find that one thing that will cause them to fall, I'll use it to become one again!"**_ Zarc proclaims as he starts to fade.

" _We'll see._ "

Ten years later in the Fusion Dimension, a young Yuri defeats one of the students. Again. Ever since he came to the Academy, he was free to duel as many of the students as possible. It was fun at first since it meant he could bring out his favorite card, Starving Venom Fusion Dragon, as many times as he wanted. However, it soon became a curse. Every time he beat someone, they'd be scared of him because he was using a monster that is terrifying in every since of word. Starving Venom Fusion Dragon not only looks scary, but its effects and stats felt intimidating. How could a bunch of inexperience kids compete with something like that and someone as gifted as Yuri.

Things got worse when Yuri started attracting the attention of students who have been around long enough that they were allowed to wear one of the three Academy uniform jackets. Like everyone else, he wiped the floor with them and this just made others want to avoid him even more to the point very few even challenged him. In this massive castle turned school, Yuri felt truly alone with his only friend being Starving Venom who he could occasionally hear and talk to.

In one part of Academy, a young Serena is having a duel against another student and she's about to win.

"Now Lunalight Blue Cat attack directly!" Serena orders as her feline looking monster girl twirls and kicks her opponent to reduce his life points to 0.

"Wow Serena you're good." A girl who was watching the duel says.

"Yeah I guess." Serena shrugs.

"Huh you guess."

"I want a challenge. I want to duel someone really tough. You know the kind of duelist who won't go down easily. I tried challenging the older students but they keep saying they won't challenge a little kid." The fact the older students won't take her as a serious opponent gets her irritated.

"If you want a tough opponent our age, you should challenge Yuri." Serena's defeated opponent slips. When Yuri's name gets mentioned everyone within earshot starts trembling.

"Who's Yuri?" Serena asks.

"Uh, forget I said anything Serena." The boy says.

"Yes. Just don't go near Yuri ever." The girl warns Serena. However, despite this Serena's interest in this Yuri kid piques and soon who he is became the only thing on her mind.

A few days later, Yuri sits on a bench on the Academy grounds doing nothing. His attention is turned to a crowd of students surrounding an older girl in a pink school uniform. Apparently, her name is Asuka Tenjouin. She and her older brother moved into the area and as new residents of the Mainland, they must transfer to the school.

"Sigh, someone new shows up and they welcome her with open arms. Wonder how long till she avoids me like everyone else." Yuri says to himself.

"Hey are you Yuri?" Serena asks getting his attention.

"I am. Who are you?"

"My name is Serena. I've been spending the last couple of days looking for you."

"Wait you have been looking for me?" Yuri asks taken aback. "Why?"

"So I can challenge you to a duel. I've heard you were strong despite being the same age as me and judging by the fact that everyone I talk to freak out when they hear your name then it must be true."

"Yeah that's definitely me. Ok let's get this over with." Yuri speaks with apathy as he puts on his duel disc.

"Hey don't look down on me!" Serena shouts, which gets the attention of Asuka and the students around her.

"I'm not looking down on you. I just know how this duel will go. I'll win and you'll run away in terror." Yuri responds with no sign of emotion but Serena mistakes it with smugness.

"Well someone feels confidents, but I will beat you." Serena smirks as she activates her duel disc. With both ready, they start.

"Duel!"

Yuri: 4000 life points. Hand: 5.

Serena: 4000 life points. Hand: 5.

"Oh no someone else is dueling Yuri."

"She doesn't stand a chance."

"Hey why is everyone acting so nervous?" Asuka asks the trembling kids.

"That boy there is Yuri. He's the scariest and strongest student at Academy."

"He doesn't look scary." Asuka comments.

"Wait until you see him duel."

Serena takes the first move in the duel. "First off, I play Polymerization to fuse the Lunalight Blue Cat and Lunalight Purple Butterfly in my hand. Blue cat that prowls through the darkness! Butterfly with violet poison! Spiral into the moon's gravity and become a new power! Fusion summon! Level 7! Lunalight Cat Dancer!"

Lunalight Cat Dancer. Level: 7. Dark. Beast-Warrior/Fusion/Effect. Attack: 2400. Defense: 2000.

Serena's Cat Dancer performs a little dance to a Riq track before striking a pose. With her fusion monster summoned, Serena ends her turn.

"My turn. I draw." Yuri says. After looking at his hand, he then sighs and starts going through the motions with zero enthusiasm. "First I play Predaponics. Now once per turn, I can special summon a level 4 or lower Predaplant monster from my hand or grave with its effects negated. I use it to special summon Predaplant Moray Nepenthes."

Predaplant Moray Nepenthes. Level: 4. Dark. Plant/Effect. Attack: 1600. Defense: 1000.

"Next I normal summon Predaplant Flytrap." Yuri brings out a flytrap to join the walking carnivorous plant.

Predaplant Flytrap. Level: 2. Dark. Plant/Effect. Attack: 400. Defense: 800.

"Now I play Fusion Substitute. This card acts like Polymerization but I can only use monsters on my side of the field. Of course, this monster needs the materials on the field in order to be summoned. Two beautiful flowers with an insect alluring fragrance. Now become one and from beneath your petals, give birth to a new power. Fusion summon. Level 8. Starving Venom Fusion Dragon."

Starving Venom Fusion Dragon. Level: 8. Dark. Dragon/Fusion/Effect. Attack: 2800. Defense: 2000.

The sight of Yuri's ravenous dragon from hell makes the students watching shake as they all remember how it always means Yuri's overwhelming victory will soon be approaching. The only ones not scared are Asuka, who's more curious about it since she's never seen or heard of the card, and Serena, who puts on a brave face and wonder why this thing makes Yuri so feared.

"I activate Starving Venom's effect. On the turn he's fusion summoned I can make him gain attack equal to an opponent's special summoned monster so he gains the same amount of attack points as Lunalight Cat Dancer."

Starving Venom Fusion Dragon. Attack: 5200.

"Now battle Starving Venom!" Starving Venom Fusion Dragon opens up the maws on its back to cause branches of energy to form that fire a barrage of blasts at Serena's monster.

Serena: 1200 life points. Hand: 2.

"Ok I can see why that monster of yours is tough but strength means nothing if it can't destroy something. You see Lunalight Cat Dancer can't be destroyed by battle." Serena announces as her Cat Dancer is still standing.

"But you still took the damage. I end my turn there and Starving Venom's attack goes back to normal." Yuri says with a deadpan expression as his monster returns to 2800 attack.

"My turn and I draw. Yes. I play Sword of Dark Destruction and equip it to Cat Dancer to increase her attack by 400 and defense by 200." Serena plays her equip magic card giving Cat Dancer a demonic sword that boosts her power.

Lunalight Cat Dancer. Attack: 2800. Defense: 2200.

"Now Lunalight Cat Dancer attack Starving Venom Fusion Dragon! Remember my monster can't be destroyed by battle and when she attacks you take 100 points of damage!" Cat Dancer jumps up and decapitates Yuri's dragon. She also jingles the rings on her hands and feet to deliver a small shockwave that deals minor damage to Yuri.

Yuri: 3900 life points. Hand: 2.

Serena gives a small celebratory smile but then becomes shocked when she sees a shadowy version of Starving Venom rise up and destroy Lunalight Cat Dancer. Serena's completely baffled by what happened.

"If you must know since I summoned Starving Venom through fusion summoning that means that when he's destroyed then all of your special summoned monsters will also be destroyed." Yuri explains.

"Tcch. I end my turn." Serena reluctantly says.

"My turn. I draw and I pay 800 life points to keep my Predaponics on the field."

Yuri: 3100 life points. Hand: 3.

"Now I use Predaponics to bring back Predaplant Moray Nepenthes and I attack you directly with it." The plant monster rises back to the field and just as Yuri commands, it rushes toward Serena in a creepy manner then bites her with both heads causing the young girl to scream in response.

Serena: 0 life points. Hand: 2. Yuri wins.

As the duel ends, Yuri sighs and starts thinking to himself. _"Like I said, I would win. Now she'll start running away in fear like all the others and I'll go back to being alone and bored."_

"I want a rematch!"

Everyone especially Yuri are all shocked when they hear Serena say that. What really catches Yuri off guard is that she doesn't look scared or sad at all. She looks frustrated like none of what happened was acceptable.

"What did you say?" Yuri asks.

"A rematch! You and me duel again. It's bad enough I lost so easily but the fact that you finished me off with some stupid looking plant when you have something as powerful as that dragon of yours is unacceptable! Give me a rematch right now!"

Other than blinking, Yuri doesn't respond.

"Hey say something you jerk! Don't tell me you're one those guys who after they beat someone, they never challenge that person to another duel again because they're afraid they'll lose?" Serena fumes with tick marks forming on her head.

"No it's not that. I'm just surprised that's all. No one has ever challenged me to a rematch. Like I said, everyone I duel runs away scared after I beat them. You're the first person to ever challenge me to a rematch." Yuri explains.

"Well I'll also be the first to defeat you." Serena activates her duel disc determined to win.

"You said you're name is Serena correct?"

"Yes."

"Very well, Serena." Yuri smiles as his duel disc activates. "I accept your challenge."

Like before, Yuri takes Serena down but she then challenges him again. And he beats her in that match too. Over the next few weeks, Serena challenges Yuri to a duel everyday and he happily accepts. Serena would lose in every match they had but unlike her first few losses, she didn't feel as angry as before. The reason being is that while she hated that he kept winning, she did keep getting better. Serena would spend her free time thinking about Yuri's strategies and possible strategies from studying the cards she knows he has. She would then restructure her deck numerous times and get needed cards either through trading with other students or seeing what's available at Academy's card shop. Yuri started getting more enthusiastic about their duels. He knew he'd win but this time he didn't act like some preprogrammed robot. Their duels became something all the younger students would talk about and watch just to see if Serena would win with Asuka attending all the ones she could so long as it didn't interfere with her schedule. Then one day.

Yuri: 0 life points. Hand: 0. Serena wins.

"I lost." Yuri says dumbfounded.

"I won." Serena says surprised before jumping up in down in glee. "I won! I finally beat you!"

Yuri is about to congratulate her on finally winning. He truly felt happy that her hard work paid off until a thought came to his mind. _"Wait. If she defeated me, won't that mean everyone will see her as someone stronger than me. It'll also mean that'll they'll start being scared of her too. Will Serena wind up like how I was before I met her? Someone everyone's too scared to approach and completely alone. No I never want that to happen to anyone especially not her. Anyone but her."_

"I want a rematch!" Yuri yells.

"Huh." Serena says.

"A rematch! You always got one from me when I defeated you so it's only fair that you give me one or are you one of those duelists who refuses to challenge people they defeat because they're scared they'll lose."

"What did you say!" Serena grabs him by the shirt in anger with that last remark.

"I said I wanted a rematch! So will you give it to me or not?"

"You bet I will. In fact, I'll give it to you now."

Before their duel can start, they both hear Asuka giggling at their antics. "Oh my, you two really are interesting."

"Um, who are you?" Serena asks.

"I think her name is Asuka or something." Yuri guesses.

"I'm Asuka Tenjouin." Asuka introduces herself. "Sorry for interrupting but to be honest, I really loved watching your duels and would love to see more. If you guys don't mind?"

"Uh, no we don't mind, Asuka. My name's Serena and I'm sure you know that this is Yuri." Serena says.

"Yeah, I know who you two are. It's nice to formally meet you." Asuka offers her hand to both of them.

"It's nice to meet you too, Asuka." Yuri accepts.

 **Note: The idea for this fic came from a what if scenario talked about in the Yuri/Serena chapter of my previous work A New Life for the Dimensional Counterparts. I originally wasn't going to write this but after talking to LoveGlutton and discussing some ideas, I decided to try writing it.**


	2. Yuri vs Mika Kochou

"Now Starving Venom Fusion Dragon attack directly! Full Bloom Destruction!" Yuri shouts as his dragon fires its signature attack on Serena.

Serena: 0 life points. Hand: 1. Yuri wins.

"Well looks like I win today's match. So that means I'm 3 wins ahead of you, Serena." Yuri says. Yuri has grown more and wears light blue pants with a purple button up shirt and his Academy jacket hanging from his shoulders.

"For now, but I'll have more wins then you soon." Serena says getting up. She also now wears the Academy jacket and a matching skirt over black bicycle shorts and a white shirt with black vest.

" _I wonder if they know that their dueling record of wins against the other is always close."_ Asuka thinks to herself after watching the duel.She no longer wears the pink uniform she had when she first arrived and instead has the Academy jacket over a black shirt with gloves, boots and skirt that match the jacket.

Four years have passed since Yuri lost to Serena for the first time. Ever since then they've considered each other rivals and try to win every duel they have with the other. Though this rivalry also made them friends since they tend to spend plenty of time together. The two enjoy their time spent with one another since not only do they get to polish their skills, but they also feel comfortable enough around each other that they can talk about anything.

Eventually they were given Academy jackets to wear and both were assigned to the lowest rank, red. Apparently, the ranks didn't just reflect ones' dueling skills but also grades in non-dueling subjects such as math, science, and literature. Subjects that Yuri just didn't care about unless it piqued his interest like plants and Serena down right hated since her grades never always turn out amazing. Asuka actually told the two once that Yuri's a lazy genius who only shines if it's something he likes and Serena is a frustrated hard worker who hates it when her efforts fail.

Asuka quickly became a good friend to both of them and something of a big sister to the two especially since she helps them with their general studies and tries to see their daily duels if she can. Asuka quickly rose to the highest rank, blue, and garnered a lot of popularity from her beauty, warm personality, and skills. Another thing that made her stood out is how she's the younger sister to Fubuki Tenjouin, who also rose quickly as one of Academy's best students. Despite all of this, Asuka prefers being with Yuri and Serena. Something just told her that these two were the most interesting thing at Academy, which is saying something when they're living and learning in a castle.

While Yuri and Serena discuss what about what happened in today's duel, Asuka checks the time on her duel disc. "Hey you two. You should probably get ready since it's almost time for your gym class."

"Oh thank you Asuka. Honestly, I don't know what we would do without you." Serena says.

"Well for starters, you'd both always be late for your classes." Asuka notes.

"Ugh. I hate gym. Why is it even a requirement?" Yuri groans.

"You do need to build stamina Yuri. Carrying around a duel disc can get strenuous after a while." Asuka says.

"Yeah that I get. I just don't get why they force us to play sports that aren't dueling."

"They don't always do that, Yuri." Serena says.

After the two leave to go change into their gym clothes, which involve black shorts and a white shirt with red trimmings to show their rank, they head to the gym with other students their age. The teacher along with a couple of older students aiding him come up and announces that the class will be doing tennis.

"You were saying." Yuri remarks to Serena.

"Shut up."

Serena and Yuri get their rackets and go to their court. Serena tries to make things more interesting by challenging Yuri to see who can score the most points. He really doesn't care but decides to humor her and accept. Though the real reason is because Serena always gets mad at him if he doesn't take any competition seriously. The students they're up against are two yellow ranked students. A tall boy with red hair and a shorter boy with blue hair in a ponytail eating a sucker. They learn their names are Dennis and Sora respectively.

"Oh, first match and we get the famous Yuri and Serena. So are you two just as good at tennis as you are at duel monsters?" Dennis asks playfully.

"We're the best at anything we try at." Serena declares.

"Serena, please be quiet." Yuri says to his teammate.

"Well let's see what you two can do. We'll start the first serve." Sora says before throwing the tennis ball up and jumping surprisingly high to serve it to them. Yuri tries to hit it since it's closer to him, but he crashes into Serena, who also tried to get it.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Yuri shouts at Serena.

"I'm trying to score points! I saw the ball and went to get it!" Serena shouts back.

"This is a doubles match as in you can't try to play by yourself!"

"Given your usual level of enthusiasm when it comes to gym class, I probably will wind up playing by myself!"

"You know from the rumors I've heard about these two, I'd imagined they'd be more impressive. Heck, that Yuri kid doesn't seem particularly scary at all." Sora comments to Dennis.

"Maybe it's just their dueling skills that are good. Oh well." Dennis shrugs before turning to them. "Ok, it's your turn to serve."

"I'll serve." Yuri says.

Sora and Dennis ready but when they see his face. He's giving a very angry smile. Apparently his spat with Serena about the ball ticked him off so much he's taking his frustration out through the game. When he serves, it seems for a moment that he has some kind of dark menacing aura around him. This causes Dennis and Sora to instinctively dodge the ball coming at them. The ball flies far and hits one of the student aides in the head hard

"Ow! Who hit me!?"

"Oh this isn't good. He hit the worst possible person." Dennis says to himself.

Yuri goes up to him to apologize. "Sorry. I accidently hit the ball too hard. Are you ok?"

"You're that Yuri kid aren't you? The one everyone in your age group is afraid of?" The guy asks. The older student has on a gym uniform worn by the blue ranks. He has dark red hair in a thick ponytail with some strands of hair sticking out of the front of his head like antennae.

"Yes I am." Yuri starts feeling suspicious of the guy.

"I'll forget about this incident if you hand over that rare fusion card you have. What was it Starving Venom?"

Yuri's blood starts boiling at this. He even considers just punching the guy and accepting whatever punishment would be given to him. Fortunately, Yuri doesn't follow up on it as Serena shows up.

"Hey Yuri, what's going on?"

"This freak wants me to use my Starving Venom Fusion Dragon as a bribe so he can stay quiet about hitting him." Yuri tells her.

"What. Hey punk, the whole thing was an accident and he has no right to give you any of his cards. Who do you even think you are?" Serena's statement causes many of the students watching to think to themselves how they're both doomed.

"You two really don't know who I am? I'm Mika Kochou. I'm one of Academy's final year students and as a blue rank that makes me one of Academy's top students." Mika proclaims.

Serena and Yuri just give him blank stares.

"Have you heard of this guy?" Serena asks Yuri.

"This is a very big school and I barely know all the names of the people in the same year as us. Though given that he knows who I am, I guess I have the bigger reputation than a supposedly top student." Yuri says with mockery directed at Mika.

"All right kid, I think you should learn some discipline on respecting your senior. I challenge you to a duel. When all of today's classes are over go to duel stadium 8-B and I'll put you in your place." Mika says which causes Yuri to grin.

"Alright I accept and I'll be sure to put you in your place."

Later after class finished, Asuka's chastises Yuri for what happened.

"Yuri. I seriously can't believe you accepted a challenge from that creep Mika Kochou?" Asuka says.

"Sorry Asuka but he didn't offer me much of a choice. I tried to be civil, he acted like a stuck up jerk who wanted me to just hand over Starving Venom, so I accepted his challenge." Yuri nonchalantly says.

"Asuka what's the problem? You just admitted the guys a creep. Is he really that strong?" Serena wonders.

"Unfortunately, he is. Mika Kochou is a duelist who specializes in using an insect deck. He focuses on overwhelming his opponent with his bugs till the duel is over even my big brother acknowledges his skills. Likewise, he thinks that he can do what he wants simply because he's one of Academy's best." Asuka explains.

"Well it's a good thing I use cards based on carnivorous plants." Yuri smirks. Serena holds back some laughter from that joke.

"Yuri I think you're way in over your head. Mika won't treat this as a duel but a public execution especially since many Academy students are already talking about it and the duel stadium he picked is one of Academy's biggest."

"I don't care. A number of people avoid me as I am already and the only times I duel people who aren't you two is during practical exams. Even then I can tell they don't want to face me. Besides the guy's a creep like you said so I'm going to enjoy dueling and taking him down no matter what any one says." Yuri sincerely says while giving of a smile, which makes Serena and Asuka smile too.

"Yuri, you're going win no matter what. I know it." Serena tells him.

"Thanks Serena. Though, you're not going to say anything like 'If you lose, I'll beat you up'?"

"Don't have to you. You obviously know I'll do it." Serena slaps him on the back for luck before walking off to make sure she gets some good seats for her and Asuka. Asuka notices the happy stare Yuri gives Serena.

"You two really are great together?" Asuka says.

"I'm really happy I got to meet her. I don't know what my life would be like if I haven't met Serena or someone like her. Then again there's no one like her." Yuri confesses.

"You know Yuri, I think you'll find that the more people you meet, the more that line tends to apply to a lot of people."

"Alright fine Asuka. There's no one like you either."

As Yuri prepares for his upcoming duel, around the same time in the other dimensions, his three counterparts each prepare for their own duels that have some importance to them.

Synchro Dimension.

"Ok all of the riding functions are good. How's the software, Rin?" Yugo looks over his D-Wheel.

"Everything's ready, Yugo. You're good to go." Rin gives a thumbs up after unhooking their laptop from the D-Wheel.

"Great! I'm so going to win this tournament!" Yugo cheers as he grabs his helmet. Yugo entered one of the many tournaments that the Commons hold. This one is one of the bigger ones that give out good prizes to the winners.

"Just promise me you'll focus. We'll get a lot of money winning this thing and you've lost too many tournaments because you didn't focus."

"Calm down Rin. I've only ever lost about four."

"And for people like us losing even one is too many." Rin then starts talking more sweetly to Yugo. "Just promise me that you'll do your absolute best out there?"

"Hey for you Rin, I'll do whatever it takes to give us the good life." Yugo starts the D-Wheel and rides out onto the circuit. Rin goes into the spectator's side to find a seat when she sees an open spot next to someone with orange hair and criminal markings on his face.

"Excuse me but is this spot taken? I want to watch my friend whose about to duel." Rin asks.

"Well it's suppose to but the kids seem more happy watching the match up as close as possible." The guy says referring to three kids looking over the wall to watch.

"Oh. I'll find some place else."

"No sit it's fine. I can make room for the kids when they're tired of standing. By the way, the name's Crow."

"Oh hello, Crow. I'm Rin."

"So which duelist is your friend?"

"Oh that's him! The one in white. That's Yugo." Rin points to Yugo who rides up to the starting line along with his opponent, a Commons named Dick Pitt who's in a black and blue riding suit with a matching D-Wheel.

"So I take it he's your boyfriend?" Crow teases the young girl.

"W-what! No, we're not like that. We just grew up in the same orphanage and built the D-Wheel he's riding together. That's all." Rin flusters.

"Hey relax I'm just messing with you. My pal Shinji is in this thing too, but I wish you and Yugo the best of luck."

"Same here."

After the announcer of the tournament tells the audience Yugo and Dick's names so they know who's competing in this round. He then shouts 'Riding duel. Acceleration!' just as an official waves the starting flag. At that moment, Yugo and Dick ride off.

"Duel!"

Xyz Dimension.

Yuto sits on a lobby bench to mentally prepare himself. He's dueling a big name student from the Heartland Duel School's Heart Branch named Thomas Arclight and Yuto's representing the Spade Branch. As he readies himself, Ruri sits next to him.

"Feeling nervous are we?" Ruri asks.

"A little bit. The Spade Branch hasn't been having many victories this year so I feel like there's more pressure to win in this duel than usual." Yuto admits.

"Don't worry about it. You'll do great and as long as you have fun out there that's all that matters."

"Thanks Ruri, but I promise all of you, I'll win." Yuto and Ruri get up then Yuto turns to Ruri and starts acting flirty. "So can I get a good luck kiss from my songbird?"

"Why do you think I came here my knight?" As they lean in to kiss, they both here Shun calling out for Ruri and start panicking.

"There you are Ruri. I've been looking for you." Shun says.

"Oh, uh, Shun. Sorry, I walked off, but I decided to give Yuto some last minute pointers. You know, big duel and all." Ruri lies.

"Yeah, big duel for me so I need some advice." Yuto nervously laughs.

"Well next time you go off somewhere Ruri tell me. I'm going back to the stands since the match's about to start soon. Oh, and Yuto break a leg." Shun leaves causing Yuto and Ruri to sigh in relief that they didn't get caught.

"I hate lying to Shun about our relationship." Yuto says.

"So do I, but he's so overprotective of me that keeping secrets is the only way I can have some fun." Ruri says with some annoyance in her voice.

"Well, I got to go. My match is about to start."

"One moment." Ruri gives him a quick kiss on the cheek before she goes off to watch his duel from her seat as Yuto smiles at her.

On the duel field, Yuto walks up to Thomas and shakes his hand before the duel starts.

"It's nice to meet you, Yuto. Hope you give off a good duel because I'm going to show my fanservice for the audience." Thomas boasts.

"Uh, ok. I hope the duel is good too." Yuto says. They go to their respective sides and start their duel discs.

"Duel!"

Standard Dimension.

"You ready for this Yuya?" Yuzu asks.

"Don't worry, Yuzu. I'm ready to entertain." Yuya puts on his duel disc.

"I the man, Gongenzaka, should be the one dueling your opponent. Gen Ankokuji is a disgrace to steadfast dueling." Gongenzaka states.

"All three of us have bad blood with the guy Gongenzaka since he kept picking on Yuya when we were younger just because Strong Ishijima has a rivalry with Mr. Sakaki. Seriously, if he mocks you again Yuya, I'll make him pay." Yuzu says whipping out her fan.

"Geez calm down, Yuzu. Besides my dad and Strong respect each other so hopefully I can find a way to connect with Gen through this duel just like them. Any ways, I'm gone. Wish me luck." Yuya runs off for his match with his two friends shouting good luck as he goes.

"Yuya's still naïve." Gongenzaka comments.

"True, but I do at least hope he succeeds in what he says." Yuzu says.

The match Yuya's partaking in is part of a duel school representative event where the various duel schools across Maiami City pick a student to represent their school and show their skills to the city. It's a good way to show the teachings of each student's respective school and give free publicity to it. Since Yuya is the son of Yusho Sakaki, Maiami City's champion, his match is the one everyone will be watching the most intensely.

"Hehe. Today is my lucky day. I get to duel and crush the son of Yusho Sakaki." Gen antagonizes.

"I know we have a bad past Gen, but let's try to enjoy our duel. After all, the fun's just about to begin." Yuya smiles.

Nico Smiley acts as the announcer and activates the action field generator. The action field pick is Castle of Chaos so Yuya and Gen duel on the ruins of an old castle surrounded by a lake and a small forest. With the action field set up, the two recite the Action Duel chant.

"Duelist locked in battle!"

"Kicking the earth and dancing in the air alongside their monsters!"

"They storm the field!"

"Behold! This is the newest and greatest evolution of dueling!"

"Action! Duel!"

Fusion Dimension.

The duel stadium Mika picked for his and Yuri's duel is filled with students of different ranks and years to watch the two duel. Watching up high is the current number one duelist in Academy, Edo Phoenix.

"Hey, mister number one. Surprised to see you here." Asuka's brother, Fubuki Tenjouin, greets Edo.

"Oh hello, Fubuki. I'm surprised you're here as well." Edo says.

"Well when I heard Yuri was going to duel Mika, I want to see how the kid does. Though I wish he'd be against someone who doesn't want to treat him as a punching bag."

"Weird. I've never known you to take an interest in the younger students except your sister. Especially one that's in red."

"Asuka is good friends with Yuri. I've met and even dueled him a few times. From what I've seen, he's not that bad of a guy. I'm not really sure what everyone's deal is with him."

"Out of curiosity, how good is he at dueling?" Edo asks.

"He and Serena, the girl my sister also hangs out with, are both pretty good. They've never beaten me but they have potential. Now let me ask you something. Why are you here for this duel?" Fubuki questions the best student.

"I'm just here to see that dragon the kid has. Supposedly, it's a one of kind card since no one has heard of it before. Then again with so many cards out there in the world, there's bound to be some that no one's heard about." Edo admits.

"Well hopefully Mika will let him summon it."

Elsewhere in the stadium, Sora and Dennis wait for the duel. Dennis is passing the time by shooting playing cards from one hand to the other, while Sora snacks.

"That Yuri kid must be either really brave or really foolish." Dennis says.

"Yeah. It would be interesting if he actually beat the guy, but we all know that's not going to happen."

"True." Dennis then eyes the bag of candy Sora's eating from. "Are you going to share those?"

"Nope."

In another part, Serena and Asuka wait anxiously for the duel to start.

"I really hope nothing bad happens to Yuri in this duel." Asuka frets.

"Will you relax? Yuri's going to be fine. I mean he'd never lose to someone like this Mika Kochou character." Serena states but then starts thinking to herself. _"Though I do hope he enjoys the duel. I never understood why but there were moments where a number of times Yuri never felt satisfied with dueling. Especially since he always seems happy with the duels against me and Asuka even if he loses. Yuri, is there something you haven't told me?"_

Mika Kochou and Yuri go out onto the field and start their duel discs to begin.

"Duel!"

Yuri: 4000 life points. Hand: 5.

Mika: 4000 life points. Hand: 5.

"Since I'm the senior, I'll take the first move." Mika boasts.

"Fine by me." Yuri says.

"I'll start things off by playing Polymerization. I fuse Pheromone Insect and Metal Armored Bug from my hand. Insects that crawl upon the earth! Now join together to let this new power spread its captivating wings! Fusion summon! Level 7! Hypnosis Moth!"

Mika summons a massive brown moth with even bigger wings that have a colorful pattern that resembles a monstrous face on it.

Hypnosis Moth. Level: 7. Wind. Insect/Fusion/Effect. Attack: 2400. Defense: 2000.

"Hypnosis Moth's effect is that all non-insect-type monsters on the field can't gain any attack points as long as it's on the field and if you attack it, your monsters will lose 500 attack. I end my turn and now the effect of Pheromone Insect activates. At the end of the turn it was sent to the graveyard, I get to add an insect-type monster from my deck to my hand so I pick my Insect Queen."

"My turn. I draw and play my Polymerization." Yuri declares. "I fuse Predaplant Flytrap and Predaplant Pterapenthes from my hand. Two beautiful flowers with an insect alluring fragrance! Grow a flower that'll smash the remains of my enemies! Fusion summon! Level 7! Predaplant Pawpaw Cyclops!"

Yuri brings out his own fusion monster. It's a hulking giant with green bark-like skin that makes it resemble a tree monster with a razor sharp mouth on its stomach. On its face is a large yellow eye that's surrounded by six maroon flower petals.

Predaplant Pawpaw Cyclops. Level: 7. Dark. Plant/Fusion/Effect. Attack: 2600. Defense: 1600.

"What is that freaky thing?" Mika asks.

"It's my monster obviously." Yuri says then proceeds to explain what it does. "Now since Pawpaw Cyclops was fusion summoned then during any player's turn, I can put a Predator Counter on one of my opponent's special summoned monsters and all monsters with Predator Counters on them become level 1. So I'll put one on your moth."

Hypnosis Moth. Level: 1. Predator Counter.

"Now for Predaplant Pawpaw Cyclops' other effect. All monsters my opponent controls that have a level less than its level have their effects negated so my monster is safe from your moth's effects. Now, Pawpaw Cyclops smash that bug of his!"

At Yuri's command, his one-eyed plant monster raises its fist and crushes Hypnosis Moth in one swing.

Mika: 3800 life points. Hand: 3.

Yuri ends his turn with that. He figures that Mika knew about Starving Venom's attack gaining power hence why he started with Hypnosis Moth though he probably doesn't know about all of the other fusion monsters his Predaplants can bring out. His duels with Serena helped him become more versatile with what he chooses to fusion summon instead of constantly relying on Starving Venom. Though Yuri still loves bringing his dragon out.

Mika is now furious. "You're going to pay for that brat. I draw and I play Fusion Recovery so I can return Metal Armored Bug and Polymerization back to my hand. Since I have Insect Queen, I can bring out my best monster. I play Polymerization to fuse from my hand Insect Queen and Metal Armor Bug. Insect that crawls upon the earth and mother of all that crawls! Now merge to summon the one who has dominion over all anthropods! Fusion summon! Level 8! Insect Empress!"

Insect Empress. Level: 8. Earth. Insect/Fusion/Effect. Attack: 2800. Defense: 3000.

Appearing on the field is a massive insectoid woman on six spiky blood-red legs with a red human-like face that has yellow insect eyes and fanged teeth. The top of her head resembles a golden crown with her antennae attached and the rest of her large body is black with large bug wings that are spread open. Yuri tries to use Pawpaw Cyclops' effect to put a Predator Counter on it but it doesn't work causing Mika to gloat.

"Surprised. That's because of her effect. Insect Empress can't be targeted by the effects of level 8 or lower monsters and she can't be destroyed by them in battle either. Also, you can't attack any other insects but her and for every insect-type monster on the field, she gains 200 attack points. Which will be coming in right now because I banish the Metal Armored Bug in my graveyard so I can play Army Ant Deployment. This magic card will summon an Army Ant Token to my field for every two levels the insect I banished was. So since Metal Armor Bug was level 8, I get four Army Ant Tokens in attack mode!"

Army Ant Token. Level: 4. Earth. Insect. Attack: 500. Defense: 1200.

Insect Empress. Attack: 3800.

With his field filled with monsters including one super strong one, Mika starts his battle phase by having his Insect Empress attack and destroy Predaplant Pawpaw Cyclops.

Yuri: 2800 life points. Hand: 3.

After that, Mika starts becoming needlessly cruel in the duel by having each Army Ant Token attack Yuri directly individually. The ants keep knocking down his life points with each hit until they are very low.

Yuri: 800 life points. Hand: 3.

"That's what you get for messing with one of the top students in Academy. I set a card face down and end my turn." Mika says. The card he set is Chthonian Polymer. When Yuri fusion summons a monster, Mika plans to sacrifice one of his ant tokens to take control of it.

As Yuri get back on his feet after the onslaught of attacks he just went through, he hears all the comments the students watching the duel make. They say stuff like how not only could no one beat a top student like Mika but that they're finally going to see someone as scary as Yuri get taken down. Some feel a little happy with Yuri's approaching defeat. It soon becomes too much for Yuri mentally.

" _Asuka was right. This is an execution for me. I don't get it. Why am I treated like this? All I want to do is duel and have fun. That's all I ever wanted and yet almost everyone at Academy fears and avoids me. Why? Because I'm strong? Because my monsters all look scary? Why am I the school's outcast?"_

Synchro Dimension.

Yugo: 700 life points. Hand: 3.

Dick Pitt: 2300 life points. Hand: 1.

Yugo is dealing with a tough opponent. His Hi-Speedroid Kendama was just destroyed by Dick's Frozen Fitzgerald and now he has no monsters. Yugo thought he could win when his opponent attacked because his set card is Barrier Wave. He planned to tribute Kendama to activate it so that not only Frozen Fitzgerald would be forced into defense mode but Dick would take damage equal to Fitzgerald's defense points and Yugo would win. Instead, Frozen Fitzgerald's effect prevented Yugo from activating it. Now he doesn't know what to do. When Yugo rides by, he turns and sees Rin's worried face.

" _Damn it all! What am I doing? I promised Rin my best but that's not cutting it. We'll win the Friendship Cup soon but that's still a long ways away. I can't stand seeing Rin living the life of a Common. I can't stand it. I want us to live like the Tops so we don't have to struggle for anything. But that'll never happen if I don't defeat everyone I come across."_

Xyz Dimension.

Yuto: 500 life points. Hand: 3.

Thomas: 2000 life points. Hand: 0.

Things weren't doing any better in Yuto's duel. Thomas had a way to take down all of his strategies. His xyz monster, Gimmick Puppet Titan Shredder, ruined his set up to summon Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon. Yuto's The Phantom Knight's of Break Sword was destroyed and he brought back the monsters used to summon it as level 4 monsters, but Gimmick Puppet Titan Shredder used it's effect to destroy them and deal 800 damage for each one destroyed. To make things worse, Thomas still has a set card and his Gimmick Puppet Titan Shredder is now equipped with Gimmick Shield so now his monster's normally weak attack is swapped with it's larger 2500 defense.

" _Not good. That thing still has an overlay unit meaning he can take me out the moment I special summon a monster. I promised a win for the Spade Branch. We've been getting more frustrated by this losing streak of ours everyday and I thought this victory could cheer them up. Instead, I'm getting my butt kicked by some monster puppet. I can't let any of them keep feeling down._

Standard Dimension.

Yuya: 400 life points. Hand: 4.

Gen: 3500 life points. Hand: 1.

Yuya thought he could turn things around and give a spectacular duel, but Gen started to prove too tough. Yusho always talked about how tough Strong's Battleguard deck is and it seems Gen copied his idol's deck and playing style perfectly. It felt like Yuya was against Strong just with the attitude of a bully. Gen has Battleguard King out with Battleguard Rage activated to give it a boost. Yuya's Odd Eyes Dragon was sent back to his hand because of that card and Gen also has an Action Card. What's hurting Yuya the most is not just the fact that he's losing or failing to give a good show, but also that his family and friends are watching him do all of this.

" _I can't disappoint them. Mom and dad are watching along with Mr. Hiragi and the whole school. Duels are suppose to bring smiles that's what dad always says. But I'm not smiling and I can feel the crowd isn't either. All I want is to be like my dad and now I'm going to lose!"_

" _I want to entertain."_ Yuya thinks.

" _I want to help."_ Yuto thinks.

" _I want to succeed."_ Yugo thinks.

" _I want to be accepted."_ Yuri thinks.

" _I want to win this duel."_ All four think at the same.

All four boys draw to begin their turn. At that moment, a rainbow light starts shining from them and some of the cards in their hand change. Then all four of their eyes momentarily glow, and they start behaving similarly for their what they do next.

"With Scale 1, Stargazer Magician, and Scale 8, Timegazer Magician, I set the pendulum scale!" Yuya places the cards on the far ends of his duel disc with the word PENDULUM appearing. Then two pillars of light show up with a magician in white over a 1 and a magician in black over an 8 appear in one of each.

"With Scale 1, The Phantom Knights of Discarded Plague Mask, and Scale 8, The Phantom Knights of Sturdy Breastplate, I set the pendulum scale!" Yuto does the same only the pillars contain a being made of blue fire wrapped in a black cloak and wearing an old plague mask over a 1 while the other has black and grey armor chest plating with blue flames coming from the openings over an 8.

"With Scale 1, Speedroid Carddragonfly, and Scale 8, Speedroid Dominobutterfly, I set the pendulum scale!" Moving with Yugo on both sides of his D-Wheel are the same pillars of light with monsters over a 1 and an 8 on the other. The 1 pillar has a long thin red and black robot with an insectoid head and wings made from ace playing cards of a different suit, while the 8 side has a robot with wings made of dominos.

"With Scale 1, Predaplant Venus Vampire, and Scale 8, Predaplant Butterwort Gorgon, I set the pendulum scale!" On Yuri's field, the pillars of light feature a light green skinned vampire with red eyes, a white flower that acts as its hair, and teeth that resemble the protrusions on a flytrap's edges over a 1. The other pillar has a grotesque red-eyed green skinned head with pink flowers that have mouths acting as its hair hovering over an 8.

"With this I can summon monsters with levels 2 through 7! Swing pendulum of souls! Draw an arc across the aether! Pendulum summon! Appear, my monsters!" All four boys simultaneously shout as the swinging pendulum between the their respective pillars swings and brings out their own monsters.

Fusion Dimension.

Predaplant Squid Drosera. Level: 2. Dark. Plant/Effect. Attack: 800. Defense: 400.

Predaplant Drosophyllum Hydra. Level: 5. Dark. Plant/Effect. Attack: 800. Defense: 2300.

Yuri pendulum summons two of his Predaplant monsters from his hand with ease. The sight of this makes everyone watching drop their jaw including the older students like Fubuki and Edo. Everyone is completely silent until Mika speaks up.

"What! What's going on? I never heard of any of this. How did you do this brat? Are you cheating?"

"Hehehe. If I was cheating, do you think I would do it in such an obvious way." Yuri states with a cocky smile and acting like this is all normal. "Now, if you excuse me, it's still my turn. First, I activate Predaplant Venus Vampire's pendulum effect. Once per turn, using monsters I control, I can fusion summon a Dark fusion monster. Two beautiful flowers with an insect alluring fragrance! Now become one and from beneath your petals, give birth to a new power! Fusion summon! Level 8! Starving Venom Fusion Dragon!"

Starving Venom Fusion Dragon. Level: 8. Dark. Dragon/Fusion/Effect. Attack: 2800. Defense: 2000.

"So that's your dragon. Well thanks for summoning it because now I can take it with my Chthonian Polymer trap!" Mika declares.

"You could but Venus Vampire's other effect activates. Closed Snap Trap! If the materials used for the fusion summoning were pendulum summoned then my opponent can't activate any card effects in response to said summoning." Yuri's Predaplant Venus Vampire's eyes glow and the image of a flytrap appears to snap on Mika's set trap so it can't activate.

"Predaplant Squid Drosera's effect also activates. Since it left the field, every monster you control now gets a Predator Counter and since I'm not targeting Insect Empress then her effect can't protect her."

Insect Empress. Level: 1. Predator Counter.

Army Ant Token. Level: 1. Predator Counter.

"I activate Starving Venom Fusion Dragon's effect to increase its attack by the same amount as Insect Empress until the end of the turn."

Starving Venom Fusion Dragon. Attack: 6600.

Mika starts feeling nervous but still tries to make seem like he wins. "It doesn't matter if your dragon is stronger. I still win! Remember, Insect Empress is the only insect-type monster you can attack and she can't be destroyed by level 8 or lower monsters. So once your dragon attacks, both she and I will still be standing, and I can finish you off!"

"True. That's why I have Predaplant Butterwort Gorgon's pendulum effect." Yuri replies.

"Huh?" 

"Whenever a Dark monster I control attacks a monster with a lower level than it then that monster's effect becomes negated during the battle. When Insect Empress loses her effect then her attack will return to normal and all your life points will be gone."

"NO!"

"Now Starving Venom Fusion Dragon attack! Full Bloom Destruction!" Starving Venom charges up its signature attack and fires the barrage of energy blasts at the now weakened Insect Empress ripping it to shreds and striking Mika.

Mika: 0 life points. Hand: 0. Yuri wins.

As the sold vision fades away, Yuri snaps out of whatever trance he was just in and looks around at the stadium of awestruck people who are all wondering what just happened.

"Wait what's going? Why isn't anyone saying anything?" Yuri looks at his duel disc and sees that it's displaying him as the winner of the duel. "Wait a minute, I won."

At the same time, Yuya, Yuto, and Yugo win their duels using their new pendulum cards just like Yuri.

Yuya won by having Performapal Whip Snake switch Battleguard King's attack and defense, while Performapal Sword Fish lowers its attack and defense by 600. This weakens it enough for Odd Eyes Pendulum Dragon to destroy and deal double damage to it. Gen can't use the Action Card he has because Stargazer's effect makes it so that magic cards can't activate when a pendulum monster attacks.

Yuto won by pendulum summoning two The Phantom Knights of Fragile Armor. Thomas removes Titan Shredder's last overlay unit to activate its effect to end the duel. However, none of Yuto's monsters get destroyed because The Phantom Knights of Sturdy Breastplate prevents their destruction so Yuto didn't take any damage as well. He overlays them to summon Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon and uses its effect to halve Gimmick Puppet Titan Shredder's attack and increase its own by the surplus. Thomas tries to counter with Negate Attack but The Phantom Knights of Discarded Plague Mask makes it so Dark xyz monsters can't be targeted by magic/trap cards so Thomas loses.

Yugo brought out Speedroid Razorang and Speedroid Tri-Eyed Dice. He first switches Razorang to defense mode to reduce Frozen Fitzgerald's attack by 800 then he tunes his two monsters to bring out Clear Wing Synchro Dragon. Since he synchro summoned a Wind monster, Speedroid Carddragonfly can activate its effect. Yugo banished Razorang since it was a non-tuner used for Clear Wing's summoning so he could increase his dragon's attack by Razorang's attack. He attacks and destroys Frozen Fitzgerald and wins the match.

Fusion Dimension.

"How did you do it? How did you do that pendulum summoning?" Mika demands by grabbing Yuri by the shirt.

"I keep telling you I don't remember, but I guess it has something to do with these pendulum cards." Yuri holds up his two new pendulum cards since they're the only ones on his duel disc other than Starving Venom.

"Pendulum cards? I've never heard of those cards! How did you get them?" While Yuri keeps getting shaken his attention gets turned to the murmurs the students say. He overhears some say out loud that now it's even more unfair to duel Yuri since not only does he have cards no one's ever seen or heard of before but it just feels unfair since what he just did during the duel feels broken.

The whole thing starts feeling him with the same since of distance he felt before he met Serena. Asuka shows up to tell Mika to his face to back off from Yuri, but Yuri can't feel appreciation from her standing up for him and sulks off.

Standard Dimension.

"Pendulum cards?" Nico Smiley asks Yuya. Everyone was so baffled by how Yuya won that they're checking the cards he used.

"Yes. I don't know where they came from but apparently you need these to perform pendulum summoning." Yuya shows him and the rest of the audience watching from the cameras his pendulum cards.

When he shows them, many people start talking how Yuya must have cheated and they can't believe the son of someone like Yusho would do something so cowardly. They actually get loud enough that Yuya hears all this and sees the audience giving him mean looks.

"This isn't good." Yoko comments.

"I better step in and stop this. There's no telling how this will effect Yuya." Yusho says as he's about to get up to go to his son.

Xyz Dimension.

"Attention everyone. After some discussion, while the system considers Yuto's play legal and valid, it has been decided that due to the unusual method of Yuto's victory that the result of this match be considered null and void." The referee announces to the Heartland students.

This causes all of the members of the Spade Branch to groan since it felt like they finally got a victory after a while. A dejected Yuto just walks off feeling like his effort was wasted.

"I can't believe it. Yuto did great and they're just calling the match null and void. Can you believe this bull, Ruri? Uh, Ruri?" Shun growls about the outcome before turning to his sister who isn't in her seat.

Synchro Dimension.

"DISQUALIFIED!" Yugo yells at the official. "What hell are you going on about? I won so why are you disqualifying me?"

"Because you used a method to win that no one's even heard of and with those weird cards. Seriously, I don't even think the Tops have these pendulum cards." The official tells Yugo bluntly.

"I keep telling you I don't know where they came from. They just appeared."

"A likely story kid." Hearing the way the guy spoke to Yugo and even kicking him out of the tournament for no reason other than he used some brand new summoning mechanic fills Yugo with not only anger, but also despair from not being able to continue.

While all four enter their own depressed states, Zarc cackles at the turn of events. _**"Well looks like we all got what we wanted boys. You got more power and the victories you desired, and I get that one weakness from each of you. Now you're mine."**_

Standard Dimension.

Just as Yusho gets up to defend Yuya, someone else beats him to the punch in a much louder way.

"WILL ALL OF YOU SHUT UP!" Yuzu shouts at the crowd at the top of her lungs.

"Yuzu." Yuya notices his oldest friend's voice.

"Yuya's not a cheater or a coward! He did his best and that duel was spectacular! So quit the name calling you bast-!"

"Yuzu watch you're language." Shuzo covers up his daughter's mouth as she unknowingly continues her rant. Yuzu's outburst defending Yuya does have an effect on him as he feels touched by her open defense for him, he smiles.

"Thank you, Yuzu." Yuya says under his breath.

Xyz Dimension.

As Yuto walks down the corridor, he runs into a panting Ruri.

"Ruri, did you run all the way here?" Yuto asks.

"I-I guess I did. I'm just seeing if you're taking the result too hard." Ruri pants.

"Sorry. I wanted to give our branch a win, but I lost it. I wouldn't be surprised if some start calling me a cheater because of this."

"You're not a cheater. Besides even if you were that kind of person, the duel discs would be able to tell."

"It doesn't matter. The duel was declared null anyways."

"Don't say that. You won and it was amazing. I mean the way you're Phantom Knights looked in those pillars of light was both mysterious and wonderful much like you. Plus every move you made was unexpected. I never felt so excited watching a duel like that before and trust me I wasn't the only one. That's something those judges can't take away."

Hearing Ruri gush over his duel actually gets a chuckle out of Yuto. "Geez, why do you have to act so cute like that, Ruri?"

Synchro Dimension.

While Yugo argues with the officials, Rin comes to his aide.

"Hey, what's this about Yugo being disqualified?" Rin asks.

"It's stupid, Rin. These guys claim I shouldn't compete because what I just did was something no one has ever seen before." Yugo says.

"Look kids, the Commons already have enough problems with the Tops using their bottomless resources to keep us down. This tournament is something meant for us and we want it to be fair." The official explains to them hoping they'll accept the result.

"Fair. Fair!" Rin starts shouting. "Have you been living in a cave? Nothing about this city is fair. Almost everyone have to do what they can just to make ends meet and even then we can't do that. The Tops get everything."

"Thank you for stating the obvious kid. What you're friend did isn't fair. I don't even think the Tops have pendulum cards."

"And that's why you shouldn't disqualify Yugo." Rin's remark gets both Yugo and the official's full attention.

"Think about it. The Tops have everything but they don't have pendulum summoning. Yugo does. For the first time since Jack Atlas won the Friendship Cup, the Commons finally have an advantage over the Tops. Please, let Yugo continue so he can show that we got a shot against them."

"Let the kid continue." Dick says. "He won and I lost. That's how the City works. Plus I agree with the girl."

Other Commons who heard this actually start to take Rin's side and want Yugo to continue. The official decides let him continue. Seeing Rin stand up for him makes Yugo start to tear up.

"Looks like you're still in the tournament Yugo. Eh, Yugo?" Rin says before seeing Yugo with tears of joy.

"RIN!" Yugo jumps to hug her but she ducks causing him to miss and crash into the ground. Rin cares about Yugo, but his hugs can be too much.

Fusion Dimension.

As Yuri leaves the field and goes to exit the stadium he stops when he sees Serena, who has a disappointed look on her face.

"Serena." Yuri says before Serena hits him over the head with her fist. "Ow! What was that for?"

"Why didn't you tell me about pendulum summoning? You could've used it in one of our duels earlier so I could've been the first to see it." Serena scolds.

"Because it literally came from nowhere. I don't recall any of what happened in that last turn Serena, but I'm being completely honest when I say I don't know where those pendulum cards came from."

"Oh. Ok then." Serena then hits Yuri again.

"Alright. What was that one for?" 

"Your attitude. I don't get you Yuri. Whenever you defeat someone that isn't Asuka or me, you feel unsatisfied. I mean for crying out loud you just defeated a blue rank senior student. If that were me, I would be hugging everyone I meet for days."

"You know the rumors. Whenever I win a duel, everyone avoids me. They think I'm some kind of frightening beast or something. How can I enjoy something, if the outcome ends with everyone turning against me?"

Serena gives Yuri a worried look and then, surprisingly, hugs him. "Sorry I didn't know and I should've."

When she breaks the hug, Yuri is in a state of complete shock that Serena just hugged him like he's still trying to comprehend what just happened. He quickly breaks out of this stupor when Serena threatens to hit him again.

"Listen Yuri. I don't care what those losers think. If they don't have the nerve to challenge you again after losing to you then you shouldn't care. Again, you defeated a top student. At least be happy about that." Serena encourages him.

"Thanks Serena." Yuri smiles.

"No problem. Besides, I was able to eventually defeat you the big scary Yuri when we were kids. That means even if you use pendulum summoning or whatever then I can find a way to defeat even that."

"I'm sure you can, Serena. Though can you tell me how I did pendulum summoning because I don't recall it one bit?"

As Ray's counterparts cause Yuya, Yuto, Yugo, and Yuri to feel better, Zarc feels enraged. _**"Damn you, Ray! It looks like those pieces of yours are more of a hindrance than I originally believed. Doesn't matter. This is still a victory for me. My pieces now have the power I developed to counter the En cards and I learned what their weaknesses are. All you're doing Ray is delaying the inevitable."**_

 **OC Cards**

Pheromone Insect/Earth/Level: 3/Insect/Effect/Attack: 1000/Defense: 1000.

At the end of the turn, this card is sent to the graveyard: add 1 insect-type monster from your deck to your hand.

Hypnosis Moth/Wind/Level: 7/Insect/Fusion/Effect/Attack: 2400/Defense: 2000.

2 insect-type monsters.

As long as this card is face up on the field, all non-insect-type monsters can gain attack points. If this card is attacked, the opposing monster loses 500 attack points during the battle.

Predaplant Pawpaw Cyclops/Dark/Level: 7/Plant/Fusion/Effect/Attack: 2600/Defense: 1600.

2 Predaplant monsters.

If this monster was fusion summoned, it gains this effect: once during either player's turn, you can place a Predator Counter on a special summoned monster your opponent controls (level 2 or higher monsters with Predator Counters become level 1). All monsters your opponent controls that have a level less than this monster's level have their effects negated.

Insect Empress/Earth/Level: 8/Insect/Fusion/Effect/Attack: 2800/Defense: 3000.

Insect Queen + 1 level 5 or higher insect-type monster.

Gains 200 attack points for each insect on the field. Your opponent can't attack any insect-type monsters except Insect Empress. This card can't be targeted by effects from level 8 or lower monsters or be destroyed by battle from level 8 or lower monsters.

Army Ant Deployment. Quick-Play Magic.

Banish an insect-type monster from your graveyard. Special summon an Army Ant Token (Earth/Level: 4/Insect/Attack: 500/Defense: 1200) for every two levels the banished monster was. They can't be used as a tribute for a tribute summon.

Gimmick Puppet Titan Shredder/Dark/Rank: 8/Machine/Xyz/Effect/Attack: 1500/Defense: 2500.

2 level 8 monsters.

Once during either player's turn, you can remove an overlay unit from this card. Destroy all special summoned monster your opponent controls and deal 800 damage for each one destroyed and sent to the graveyard by this effect.

The Phantom Knights of Discarded Plague Mask/Dark/Level: 2/Warrior/Pendulum/Effect/Attack: 300/Defense: 1300/ Scale: 1.

Pendulum: You can only special summon Dark monsters. If the other card in your pendulum zone is a dark card: Dark xyz monsters you control can not be targeted by magic/trap cards your opponent controls.

Monster: When this card is summoned, you can pick a xyz monster you control: it can't be targeted by magic/trap cards your opponent controls as long as you control this card.

The Phantom Knights of Sturdy Breastplate/Dark/Level: 4/Warrior/Pendulum/Effect/Attack: 800/Defense: 1800/Scale: 8.

Pendulum: Once per turn, during either player's turn, if Dark monster(s) you control would be destroyed by a card effect, you can negate the destruction. You can't special summon except for Dark monsters.

Monster: A Dark xyz monster with this card as a xyz material gains this effect: once per turn, negate this card's destruction.

Speedroid Carddragonfly/Wind/Level: 5/Machine/Pendulum/Effect/Attack: 1900/Defense: 1800/Scale: 1.

Pendulum: You can only pendulum summon Wind monsters. When you synchro summon a Wind synchro monster, you can banish a non-tuner material used for the summon to increase the synchro monster's attack by the attack of the banished monster's until the end of the turn.

Monster: You can discard a Wind monster from your hand to special summon this card from your hand. If you do, this card can only be used as material for a Wind synchro monster.

Predaplant Venus Vampire/Dark/Level: 7/Plant/Pendulum/Effect/Attack: 2300/Defense: 2000/Scale: 1.

Pendulum: This card's scale becomes 4 if the other card in your pendulum zone isn't Dark. Once per turn, you can fusion summon a Dark monster using monsters you control as materials. If the materials were pendulum summoned, your opponent can't activate card effects in response to the monster's summoning.

Monster: If this card is used to fusion summon a Dark fusion monster, your opponent can't activate card effects in response to its summoning. Once per turn, you can put a Predator Counter on a monster.

Predaplant Butterwort Gorgon/Dark/Level: 6/Plant/Pendulum/Effect/Attack: 1200/Defense: 2400/Scale: 8.

Pendulum: If you control a non-Dark monster, destroy this card. When a Dark monster you control attacks a monster with a level less than it, negate the opposing monster's effect during the battle.

Monster: When this card is pendulum summoned, put a Predator Counter on each of your opponent's monster. When this card battles a monster with a level lower than it's level, negate the opposing monster's effect during the battle.

 **Notes: Got all the set up out of the way, now to work on the method of how Zarc can get his counterparts together. Will needed to rest for a bit after writing something this big. Also, Mika is based off of the oneshot character Ran Kochou from GX much like how Allen seems to be based on Anna from ZEXAL and I don't want to use the Numbers so I made a variation of Number 15.**


	3. Seeing If They are Different

"With Scale 1, Predaplant Venus Vampire, and Scale 8, Predaplant Butterwort Gorgon, I set the pendulum scale! With this I can summon monsters with levels 2 through 7! Pendulum summon! Appear, my monsters!" Yuri shouts as the portal created from the swinging pendulum summons Predaplant Squid Drosera and Predaplant Drosophyllum Hydra.

"Hey you two! I got the drinks." Asuka interrupts.

"Good a break. I don't know about you Serena, but I'm getting tired." Yuri sighs.

"Yeah, I want to stop for the day as well." Serena slumps from exhaustion.

After Yuri's duel with Mika, he, Serena, and Asuka spent the rest of the day trying to figure out Yuri's new pendulum cards. They did dozens of mock duels to see what they can do. The first few revolved around trying to recreate pendulum summoning to see how it's done. After that, they did various different experiments to see what pendulum summoning and pendulum cards can and can't do. They did so many practice duels that it's now night and close to their curfew.

"Ugh, I'm so sick of shouting pendulum summon over and over again." Yuri complains.

"Exactly how many of these mock duels have we done now?" Serena asks as she drinks her juice.

"I lost count when we hit the twenties." Yuri replies as he takes a sip of his drink.

"Well the good news is I think we can stop doing these test duels because it looks like we got all the information we can get about pendulum cards for now." Asuka holds a notebook that has all the stuff she learned from their duels.

"So what did you learn about them, Asuka?" Serena asks.

"Well for starters pendulum cards seem to be no different than monster cards so you can use them no differently. The only real difference is that when they're sent from the field to the grave, either by being destroyed or used as fusion material for example, they're sent to the extra deck face-up." Asuka explains.

"Aside from going to the extra deck, the fact that they're just a kind of monster cards and not some fourth category of card types or something like that is good. It means that they have the same weaknesses and limitations as monster cards so they're not really unfair." Serena comments.

"True. Though the duels show that they can be set on the farthest sides of the duel disc, which I'm assuming is the pendulum zone. From all the various scenarios we tried, it seems they act as magic cards and can use different effects there. When both sides have a pendulum card in them then you can perform a pendulum summoning. The good news Yuri is that pendulum summoning isn't some broken play like everyone thought since you can only do it once per turn and you can only summon monsters from your hand or face-up in the extra deck that have a level between scales that are on the pendulum cards. You just got lucky and played two that have such a huge gap between them." Asuka further explains.

"That's good. If these were cards that could do anything then even I would hate them." Yuri says.

"Of course, that still leaves the question of where they came from and why Yuri doesn't recall what happened when he first used them?"

"Like I keep telling everyone, I don't know. It all just happened and I don't remember anything." Yuri says before back tracking. "Well that's not entirely true. I remember one thing."

"And what is that?" Serena asks.

"I do remember summoning Starving Venom a bit but when I did, I think I saw what looked like three other dragons."

"Three other dragons? What does that mean?"

"I told you I don't know!" Yuri snaps at Serena.

"Hey don't you yell at me!" Serena shouts back.

"Ok break it up you two." Asuka intervenes. "It's almost time for the Academy curfew and it's obvious you two are tired and need some sleep."

"You're probably right Asuka. I'm going back to my dorm. I'll see you both at breakfast in the morning." Yuri gets up and walks to his dorm.

As Yuri leaves, Asuka and Serena also go to head to their respective dorms since the boys and girls are on separate sides of the school. During the walk, Asuka sees that Serena is deep in thought.

"Something wrong Serena?" 

"I'm just curious what this will mean to Yuri. Yuri has something unique now so I'm trying to figure out how everyone will behave around him now."

"You make a good point. Everyone now knows of Yuri using pendulum cards to defeat Mika so he's going to stand out even more than usual. Let's just hope it's the kind that doesn't hurt him."

The following week met Yuri with everyone watching him. Everyone in Academy, whether they be students or faculty, felt curious about his new pendulum cards. It got to the point people were being more around Yuri but in a way that just annoyed him. Whenever Yuri and Serena had one of their usual duels, the number of people who'd watch actually increased just so they could see pendulum summoning. Yuri and Serena could overhear some of the conversations where the students wanted to see pendulum summoning again but they felt too afraid to approach Yuri for a duel so they could face it themselves. It really got to Yuri since their comments were ruining his time with Serena. Strangely, Yuri found that Serena was just as annoyed about this too but wrote it off as a form of jealousy that they're not giving someone as good as her attention. And to him, they should.

One day, Yuri got called over to the principle's office to discuss with the faculty of Academy to see what they should do about the pendulum cards. Asuka and Serena spend time on the school grounds until the meeting is over. During their wait, the two are approached by Dennis and Sora who're wearing their yellow jackets.

"Hello Miss Serena. It's been a while." Dennis greets Serena.

"You are the guys from gym class when Mika challenged Yuri." Serena says.

"Yep, that's us. My names Sora Shiun'in and this is Dennis Macfield." Sora introduces.

"Ok what do you two want?"

"Well someone wants to cut to the chase." Dennis teases. "We saw Yuri's match and were completely blown away by not only the result but Yuri using pendulum summoning. So much so that we've been watching the duels he has with you, Serena, just to see it again."

"Of course, watching a duel and being a part of it aren't the same. We want to duel Yuri to see pendulum summoning up close for ourselves." Sora says.

"Don't bother. You two clowns will just act like the others." Serena snaps at them. Dennis and Sora act more offended that she called them clowns than the fact she's denying them a duel with Yuri.

"Serena, what's gotten into you? They just want to duel Yuri." Asuka says.

"I just finally came to realize the hypocrisy of the students here. Everyone claims they want to be the best and a number of them like you Asuka have proven it. However, most of the others just want to be the best the easy way. They never try to challenge the strong duelists and when they lose against someone incredible, they just give up and stick with facing those of their own skills. That attitude gave Yuri the bad reputation he's got. I refuse to let some cowards who can't take a loss duel him and make him feel more isolated." Serena vents unintentionally showing how much she cares about Yuri's well being.

"Wow. Yuri's got himself a pretty overprotective girlfriend." Sora comments.

"I'm not his girlfriend!" Serena shouts with some blush on her face.

"Regardless of intentions, I do agree with Serena. I can understand you two wanting to see pendulum summoning up close but I also hate the attitude most of the students have when it comes to going against someone strong. So how do we know you two are different?" Asuka says.

"How about a duel." Dennis suggests. "To be exact, a tag duel with Sora and I dueling you two."

"Huh?" Serena and Asuka respond.

"Serena's got a reputation of being Yuri's equal and well everyone knows the strength of the beautiful Asuka Tenjouin. I'm sure a tag duel against you two will show whether or not we're like everyone else."

"Good. I love dueling new people. Come on Asuka." Serena says enthusiastically.

"Why not. This will kill time until Yuri gets back and we can see if you two are different." Asuka agrees.

All four set up in an open spot. Since it's a tag duel then no player can attack on the first turn and it'll coordinate with a player on each side getting a turn after the other side goes. In this case, it'll be Sora, Serena, Dennis then Asuka. The four start.

"Duel!"

Serena: 4000 life points. Hand: 5.

Asuka: 4000 life points. Hand: 5.

Vs.

Sora: 4000 life points. Hand: 5.

Dennis: 4000 life points. Hand: 5.

"The first move is mine and I play Toy Vendor." Sora says as he plays his magic card. "Now I can discard a card in order to reveal the top card of my deck. If it's a Fluffal monster, it'll be summoned while anything else gets sent to the graveyard. I'll discard my Fluffal Wings and what do you know. I just drew Fluffal Bear so he gets summoned."

Fluffal Bear. Level: 3. Earth. Fairy/Effect. Attack: 1200. Defense: 800.

"A teddy bear?" Serena gives the monster a flat and confused look.

"That's odd. Most girls start gushing when I play my Fluffal monsters?" Sora questions.

"Maybe I've been around Yuri and Asuka for too long but I tend to expect monsters to look either amazing or intimidating. Not cutesy. Seriously, can you even play serious with something like that?"

"Actually Serena, I'm positive he can." Asuka states.

"Yep, and I'll show you. I summon Edge Imp Sabres." Sora brings out his demonic looking Edge Imp monster to contrast the adorable Fluffal monster.

Edge Imp Sabres. Level: 3. Dark. Fiend/Effect. Attack: 1200. Defense: 800.

"Now I play Fusion Substitute to fuse them together. Claws of the demon! Fangs of the beast! Become one and reveal a new form and power! Fusion summon! Level 6! Frightfur Bear!"

Frightfur Bear. Level: 6. Dark. Fiend/Fusion/Effect. Attack: 2200. Defense: 1800.

"I end my turn." Sora says.

Serena looks shocked seeing the mutilated stuffed animal that appears possessed due to the Edge Imp eyes in its mouth. "Ok, I didn't see that coming."

"Fluffal monsters are paired up with Edge Imp monsters as some kind of twisted contrast. They're also used to bring out Frightfu monsters, which have destruction effects so don't take him lightly, Serena." Asuka lectures.

"Have you just met me? I never take anyone likely. I draw and summon Lunalight Green Bear." Serena starts her turn by summoning a tall green skinned woman in a black leotard. She's wearing a crescent moon mask and has dark green hair styled to resemble the top half of a bear head.

Lunalight Green Bear. Level: 4. Dark. Beast-Warrior/Effect. Attack: 1800. Defense: 1000.

"I use Lunalight Green Bear's effect to pay 500 life points so I can fusion summon a Lunalight fusion monster using monsters on my field and in my hand. I choose to use Lunalight Green Bear and the Lunalight White Rabbit and Lunalight Indigo Coyote in my hand as materials. Beast whose power comes from the moon! The scavenging coyote moving through the night! The lively white rabbit illuminated by moonlight! Spiral into the moon's gravity and become a new power! Fusion summon! Level 8! Lunalight Leopard Dancer!

Lunalight Leopard Dancer. Level: 8. Dark. Beast-Warrior/Fusion/Effect. Attack: 2700. Defense: 2100.

Serena: 3500 life points. Hand: 3.

Dancing onto the field is a woman with indigo colored skin and long black hair with leopard ears on top. She has on a strapless leopard print leotard with a pink sarong and feline clawed gloves and boots.

"I end my turn by playing the continuous magic card Lunalight Round Dance. Now once per turn, I can redirect an attack to a Lunalight monster and whenever a Lunalight monster battles a monster with a higher attack, it'll gain 200 attack points for each monster my opponent controls during the battle."

"My turn and I draw. I set two cards face down and since I control no monsters, I summon Performage Fooling Oaf without a tribute." Dennis says by summoning a huge fat clown that has a goofy painted smile and carrying a comically large red mallet.

Performage Fooling Oaf. Level: 5. Earth. Spellcaster/Effect. Attack: 2200. Defense: 500.

"My turn. I draw and summon my Cyber Gymnast." Asuka says.

Cyber Gymnast. Level: 4. Earth. Warrior/Effect. Attack: 800. Defense: 1800.

" _Sora and Dennis both have monsters with the same attack power but they're part of strategically different archetype. Frightfur monsters are designed to be deadly, but Performage monsters use tricks to affect a duelist's tactics. Let's see how they handle my play."_ Asuka thinks to herself on what to do before she makes her move. "I activate Cyber Gymnast's ability to discard Cyber Sword Dancer from my hand so I can destroy Frightfur Bear."

"Trap activate. Death Defying Act." Dennis intervenes. "I negate Frightfur Bear's destruction and now I can special summon a level 4 or lower Performage from my hand or graveyard. Now approach the stage Performage Flame Spitter!"

Dennis summons a clown in a bright outfit that resembles a firefighter's uniform a bit. Since it was special summoned, Performage Flame Spitter's effect activates to deal 700 damage to a player and Dennis chooses Asuka. This is shown by his monster breathing fire on the blue rank girl.

Performage Flame Spitter. Level: 4. Fire. Spellcaster/Effect. Attack: 1400. Defense: 1200.

Asuka: 3300 life points. Hand: 4.

"How come you didn't deal the damage to me?" Serena asks out loud.

"What are you talking about?" Dennis asks.

"My life points are lower than Asuka's. Wouldn't it make more sense to deal more damage to me so that you two can get rid of me quicker and then gang up on her?"

"Well I could've but that would be a pretty boring strategy. It'll be more fun if both of you were having difficulty against us at the same time."

"Would you care to elaborate?" Asuka asks to clarify what he meant.

"You see according to our teachers Dennis and I both have the skills to reach blue rank but we don't have the motivation to do so. They're not wrong. We like winning but we also want to be in interesting duels. We're not fans of those predictable win strategies, we just want something unexpected and Yuri's pendulum summoning falls under that category." Sora explains.

"Well it looks like you two are honest about facing Yuri, but let's see how you two handle losses." Asuka smirks. "Since Cyber Sword Dancer was just sent to the graveyard I get to add a Cyber Angel monster or ritual magic card from my deck to my hand and I choose Cyber Angel Dakini. Now I play Machine Angel Ritual!"

A metal pyre appears and Cyber Gymnast turns into four blue flames. Cyber Sword Dancer, a dark skinned woman in red ceremonial garbs holding a decorated sword in each hand, also appears and turns into four blue flames. Since she's ritual summoning, Asuka chooses to banish Cyber Sword Dancer from her graveyard so the level 4 monster can also act as a tribute. The eight blue flames enter the pyre and a column of flames burst out as Asuka chants.

"Angel of light hiding strong power! Ascend onto the battlefield to face the enemy! Ritual summon! Level 8! Cyber Angel Dakini!"

Cyber Angel Dakini. Level: 8. Light. Fairy/Ritual/Effect. Attack: 2700. Defense: 2400.

"Now when Cyber Angel Dakini is ritual summoned, I can make my opponent send a monster they control of their choice to the graveyard and I pick Sora. Since you only control Frightfur Bear, it's now gone."

"Fine, but I banish Fusion Substitute from my grave so that I can send Frightfur Bear back to my extra deck and draw a card." Sora responds as his monster vanishes.

"I set a card and end my turn. Dakini's effect other effect activates now to let me add Machine Angel Ritual back to my hand." Asuka says.

"Now it's my turn and I draw." Sora declares. "First I banish my Fluffal Wings and Fluffal Bear in graveyard and destroy Toy Vendor so I can draw 2 cards. Since Toy Vendor was destroyed, I get to add Fluffal Penguin to my hand from my deck. I summon it and I use it's effect to special summon my Fluffal Owl."

Fluffal Penguin. Level: 4. Water. Fairy/Effect. Attack: 1600. Defense: 1100.

Fluffal Owl. Level: 2. Earth. Fairy/Effect. Attack: 1000. Defense: 1000.

"When Fluffal Owl is summoned, I can choose to add Polymerization from my deck to my hand and I play it to fuse my penguin with Edge Imp Tomahawk. Demonic claws! Beast with wings! Become one and chop your victims to pieces! Fusion summon! Level 7! Frightfur Eagle!"

Frightfur Eagle. Level: 7. Dark. Fiend/Fusion/Effect. Attack: 2300. Defense: 2000.

Sora's penguin turns into a brown eagle toy that has axe blades jutting out of torso and a huge blade from each wing. Its stitched up head has the beak wide open to show the demonic eyes in the blackness.

"When Fluffal Penguin is used as a fusion material, I draw 2 cards and discard a card. The card I discarded was Edge Imp Chain and its effect lets me add a Frightfur card from my deck to my hand. So I pick Frightfur Fusion. Now I activate Frightfur Eagle's effect. Once per turn at the cost of it not attacking directly, I can destroy a monster my opponent controls whose attack is less than or equal to the combined attack of every Frightfur, Fluffal, and Edge Imp monster I control."

Sora's monster begins its effect by opening its mouth wide and sucking up a monster of his choice. However, Lunalight Leopard Dancer can't be an option because it has an effect where it can't leave the field because of an opponent's card effect. Asuka's Cyber Angel Dakini also becomes unaffected by the toy abomination as well when she activates her continuous trap card Cyber Angel Halo Barrier to make a golden halo around her monster. As long as it's up, Cyber Angel ritual monsters she controls can't be destroyed by card effects.

"Very well then I activate Frightfur Eagle's second effect to sacrifice Fluffal Owl so that I can reduce Lunalight Leopard Dancer's attack by Fluffal Owl's attack and deal that much damage to you Serena."

Lunalight Leopard Dancer. Attack: 1700.

Serena: 2500 life points. Hand: 2.

"Now here's where things get really fun. I pay 1000 life points to activate Instant Fusion and I summon from my extra deck Frightfur Sheep."

Frightfur Sheep. Level: 5. Dark. Fiend/Fusion/Effect. Attack: 2000. Defense: 2000.

Sora: 3000 life points. Hand: 2.

Sora continues his turn. "Next I play Frightfur fusion to banish Frightfur Sheep, Fluffal Penguin, and Edge Imp Tomahawk. Deadly toys! Demonic claws! Beast with fangs! Show yourself wild ghost-cave beast that bares fangs at all! Fusion summon! Level 8! Frightfur Sabre-Tooth!"

Frightfur Sabre-Tooth. Level: 8. Dark. Fiend/Fusion/Effect. Attack: 2400. Defense: 2000.

"Since I used 3 materials for its summoning, my Frightfur Sabre-Tooth can't be destroyed by card effects or battle. In addition, all Frightfur monsters gain 400 attack points."

Frightfur Sabre-Tooth. Attack: 2800.

Frightfur Eagle. Attack: 2700.

"Now battle. I'll have Frightfur Eagle to attack Lunalight Leopard Dancer first! Shredding Dive Bomb!"

"Lunalight Round Dance activates to increase my Leopard Dancer's attack by 200 for each monster you control making her have 2100 attack points. Also whenever Leopard Dancer gains attack points I get to draw a card." Serena explains as her monster gets attacked by Sora's monster that spins and chops up its target like a whirlwind of blades.

Serena: 1900 life points. Hand: 3.

After Frightfur Eagle attacks, the pieces of Lunalight Leopard Dancer turn into Lunalight Green Bear, Lunalight Indigo Coyote, and Lunalight White Rabbit in defense mode since Leopard Dancer's destruction means Serena gets to summon all of the materials back to the field. Because they were special summoned, their effects activate. Green Bear makes it so that none of Serena's Lunalight monsters can be destroyed by battle this turn, and Indigo Coyote lets her add a fusion or Lunalight card from her deck to her hand. With that done, Sora continues his battle phase by having Frightfur Sabre-Tooth attack Cyber Angel Dakini.

Lunalight Indigo Coyote. Level: 4. Dark. Beast-Warrior/Effect. Attack: 1700. Defense: 1400.

Lunalight White Rabbit. Level: 2. Dark. Beast-Warrior/Effect. Attack: 800. Defense: 800.

"Not going to happen Sora! I use Lunalight Round Dance's effect to switch the target of your attack to Lunalight Indigo Coyote." Serena intervenes by forcing the large purple tiger to attack her defending monster, an indigo woman with a coyote appearance and a crescent moon around each eye.

"Well then I guess this is the end for you, Serena." Sora gives off an evil smile. "From my hand, I play the magic card Frightfur Hunting Game. Until the end of the battle phase, Frightfur Sabre-Tooth gains 500 attack points and it does piercing damage. While, your monster won't be destroyed by battle this turn, it only has 1400 defense points so you lose the rest of your life points." 

Frightfur Sabre-Tooth. Attack: 3300.

Seeing that Serena will lose all of her life points from this attack, Asuka decides to save her by using Cyber Angel Halo Barrier's other effect. She can send it to the graveyard to pick a monster and have the controller of that monster gain life points equal to the monster's attack. Asuka's about to do that but stops when she hears Serena make a play.

"I discard Lunalight Cyan Turtle from my hand in order to reduce the battle damage to 0." Serena discards the monster and cyan woman with a bob cut covering her eyes and big shell shaped armor plating on both arms appears to block Sabre-Tooth's bite. Asuka smiles at this and thinks to herself. _"It was silly of me to worry about her."_

Sora ends his turn and Frightfur Sabre-Tooth's attack returning back to 2800.

"My turn. I draw and I use Lunalight Green Bear's effect to pay 500 life points to fuse White Rabbit with Indigo Coyote. The scavenging coyote moving through the night! The lively white rabbit illuminated by moonlight! Spiral into the moon's gravity and become a new power! Fusion summon! Level 7! Lunalight Cat Dancer!"

Lunalight Cat Dancer. Level: 7. Dark. Beast-Warrior/Fusion/Effect. Attack: 2400. Defense: 2000.

Serena: 1400 life points. Hand: 4.

"Now I switch Lunalight Green Bear to attack mode and I play Lunalight Perfume to special summon my Lunalight White Rabbit to the field. I activate her effect to return a number of magic and trap cards to the hand up to the number of other Lunalight cards I control so I return the face down card Dennis has back to his hand. Then I tribute my rabbit so that Lunalight Cat Dancer can attack Sora's monsters twice each."

"Are you nuts! Your monster doesn't have enough attack points and Frightfur Sabre-Tooth can't be destroyed by battle anyways." Sora points out.

"That's why I discard Lunalight Purple Butterfly to increase her attack by a thousand. Also, whenever Cat Dancer attacks you take 100 points of damage for each attack so if you do the math the total damage from each of her attacks plus the extra 100 for those attacks will equal exactly 3000 points of damage." Serena proclaims with a cocky smile.

"Wait what?!"

Lunalight Cat Dancer. Attack: 3400.

Just as Serena says, her monster first starts kicking Frightfur Eagle to deal 700 damage plus the additional 100. It's not destroyed thanks to her effect but the next attack does destroy it and deals another 800. Then she attacks Frightfur Sabre-Tooth. Although it's not destroyed thanks to its effect, Sora still takes 600 plus 100 from both of Cat Dancer's attacks.

Sora: 0 life points. Hand: 1.

"Now I attack Dennis's Performage Flame Spitter with Lunalight Green Bear." Serena commands her remaining monster to attack.

"I activate Performage Fooling Oaf's effect. When another Performage I control is attacked, I can switch my oaf to defense mode and have him become the new target." Dennis says as his Fooling Oaf stumbles and prat falls between the two battling monsters resulting in its destruction.

"I end my turn." Serena says and it becomes Dennis's turn.

"I draw and I summon Performage Bubble Wand." Dennis's new monster is a young clown girl in a blue dress with some rainbow colored balls on it and carrying a large bubble wand.

Perfromage Bubble Wand. Level: 3. Water. Spellcaster/Effect. Attack: 700. Defense: 1300.

"When she's summoned while I control another Performage monster, I can discard a card and add a magic card from my deck to my hand. The card I added and choose to play is Magician's Fusion to fuse my two Performage monsters together. Performer with the fiery breath merge with the child of bubbles and become a new performance across the sky! Fusion summon! Level 7! Performage Trapeze Alchemist!"

Swinging and laughing on the field is a clown in red and orange hues wielding a red baton that has flames on both ends that can create bright red ropes of light.

Performage Trapeze Alchemist. Level: 7. Fire. Spellcaster/Fusion/Effect. Attack: 2400. Defense: 1900.

"Now that Magician's Fusion is in the graveyard, I can pay 700 life points to banish it and materials in my graveyard and on my field to fusion summon another spellcaster-type monster. So I banish it, Flame Spitter, and Bubble Wand. Child of bubbles merge with the performer with fiery breath and become a new performance across the sky! Fusion summon! Level 7! Performage Trapeze Enchantress!"

Just like with his last monster, this fusion monster also comes in swinging and laughing on a trapeze. This time the monster is female and dressed in various shades of blue. Her baton has bubbles on each end that create ropes of blue light.

Performage Trapeze Enchantress. Level: 7. Water. Spellcaster/Fusion/Effect. Attack: 1900. Defense: 2400.

Dennis: 3300 life points. Hand: 2.

"I start the show with Performage Trapeze Alchemist dealing 400 damage to a player for each Performage I control so I choose to deal 800 damage to Miss Asuka." Dennis says as Trapeze Alchemist throws a large fireball at Asuka.

Asuka: 2500 life points. Hand: 3.

"Then I play Performance Mage Hurricane to return all magic and trap cards to the field so Serena's Round Dance and your Halo Barrier are both gone. Now I attack Cyber Angel Dakini with Performage Trapeze Alchemist. Whenever a Performage attacks, my alchemist will increase its attack by 200 for every spellcaster-type monster I control during the battle."

Performage Trapeze Alchemist. Attack: 2800.

"When a fairy or warrior-type monster I control is attacked by a monster, I can special summon Cyber Sujet from my hand in attack mode to increase Dakini's attack by 100 points for each of her level." Asuka counters by summoning a young girl in a blue ballet outfit and wearing a cybernetic visor that powers up her Cyber Angel.

Cyber Sujet. Level: 3. Light. Warrior/Effect. Attack: 1000. Defense: 1200.

Cyber Angel Dakini. Attack: 3500.

As Performage Trapeze Magician swings forward with its feet on fire to his impending doom, he's quickly saved by Performage Trapeze Enchantress swinging in and rescuing him. Trapeze Enchantress' effect makes it so that during each battle phase, Dennis can choose to negate an attack involving a Performage monster. He then attacks Cyber Sujet with Trapeze Enchantress who gets a 400 attack boost thanks to Trapeze Alchemist's effect. Sujet's not destroyed because as long as it's in attack mode and Asuka controls another monster, it can't be destroyed by battle. Though Asuka still takes the damage.

Asuka: 1200 life points. Hand: 3.

"Well that was exciting. I set a card face down and end my turn. Now Performage Trapeze Enchantress activates her effect. I gain 500 life points for each Performage I control during my end phase." Dennis says as his enchantress creates healing bubbles around him.

Dennis: 4300 life points. Hand: 0.

" _Even if it's now two on one, my combo is set up. Trapeze Alchemist works as offense by burning and boosting my monsters, while Trapeze Enchantress protects and heals. Plus I have a set Mirror Force as insurance. Though I am excited to see if either one of these two will make a comeback."_ Dennis thinks to himself.

"My turn and I draw." Asuka says as she smirks at the card she just drew. "I start things off by playing Sacrilege Avoidance. Now not only can my opponent not activate card effects in response to the summoning of ritual monsters or when I play a ritual magic card, but all ritual monsters I control can't be affected by my opponent's card effects this turn."

"Oh this won't end well." Dennis says surprised.

"Next I play Machine Angel Ritual and tribute Cyber Angel Dakini and Cyber Sujet! Angel of light hiding eternal power! Now show your form to this vast world, and illuminate all creation! Ritual summon! Level 10! Cyber Angel Vrash!"

Cyber Angel Vrash. Level: 10. Light. Fairy/Ritual/Effect. Attack: 3000. Defense: 2000.

"When Cyber Angel Vrash is summoned, I destroy all of my opponent's monsters that were summoned from the extra deck and deal 1000 points for each destroyed. Angelic Fury!" Asuka's angel releases a pillar of light from the sky that destroys the two trapeze monsters.

Dennis: 2300 life points. Hand: 0.

"Now Cyber Angel Vrash attack Dennis directly." Asuka commands as Vrash fires a powerful blast of light on Dennis knocking him back.

Dennis: 0 life points. Hand: 0. Serena and Asuka win.

After getting up from that last attack, Dennis and Sora both start laughing.

"Well that was a fun experience." Dennis states.

"I never thought both of them could bring out an overwhelming comeback like that. It was great." Sora smiles as he takes out a sucker to eat.

"It looks they aren't like the other students." Asuka says to Serena.

"Well they don't act like any of the others that's for sure. I guess we can let Yuri duel them if they still want to." Serena shrugs.

"Let me duel them. What have you two became my managers or something?" Yuri says walking up behind them.

"How did the meeting with the faculty go?" Asuka asks.

Before Yuri can answer, Dennis approaches Yuri. "Before you answer, hi I'm Dennis Macfield and my pal over there's Sora. We were hoping we could get a duel with you so we can see your pendulum summoning, friend."

"Friend?" Yuri feels surprised hearing the word from someone else. He quickly shakes off the feeling and starts acting serious again. "I would but I already have a match that's about to happen soon, and depending on the results, I may not be able to pendulum summon anymore."

"Huh!" Serena, Asuka, Dennis, and Sora all gasp.

 **OC cards**

Lunalight Green Bear/Dark/Beast-Warrior/Level: 4/Beast-Warrior/Effect/Attack: 1800/Defense: 1000.

Once per turn, you can pay 500 life points to fusion summon a Lunlight fusion monster using monsters from your field or hand as materials. When this card is special summoned, all Lunalight monsters you control can't be destroyed by battle this turn.

Lunalight Leopard Dancer/Dark/Beast-Warrior/Level: 8/Beast-Warrior/Fusion/Effect/Attack: 2700/Defense: 2100.

3 Lunalight monsters.

This card can't leave the field by an opponent's card effect. Whenever this card gains attack points: draw 1 card. You can tribute a Lunalight monster you control to have this card attack every monster your opponent controls twice each. If so, the first time it attacks, the monster is not destroyed. When this monster is destroyed and sent to the graveyard, you can special summon as many monsters from your graveyard that were used for this card's fusion summoning.

Lunalight Round Dance. Continuous Magic.

Once during your opponent's turn, when your opponent declares an attack, you can change the attack target to a Lunalight monster you control. When a Lunalight monster is attacked by a monster with a higher attack than it, it gains 200 attack points for each monster your opponent controls until the end of the battle phase.

Performage Fooling Oaf/Earth/Level: 5/Spellcaster/Effect/Attack: 2200/Defense: 500.

If you control no monsters, you can normal summon this card without a tribute. When another Perfromage you control is attacked, you can switch this card to defense mode and have it become the new target.

Cyber Sword Dancer/Earth/Level: 4/Warrior/Effect/Attack: 1800/Defense: 800.

When this card is sent to the graveyard, you can add 1 ritual magic card or Cyber Angel monster from your deck to your hand. When you ritual summon a Cyber Angel ritual monster, you can banish this card from your graveyard to have it act as one of the tributes.

Death Defying Act. Counter Trap.

Negate the destruction of a monster then you can special summon a level four or lower Performage monster from your hand or graveyard.

Performage Flame Spitter/Fire/Level: 4/Spellcaster/Effect/Attack: 1400/Defense: 1200.

When this card is special summoned, deal 700 damage to target player.

Frightfur Eagle/Dark/Level: 7/Fiend/Fusion/Effect/Attack: 2300/Defense: 2000.

Edge Imp Tomahawk + 1 Fluffal monster.

Once per turn, you can destroy a monster your opponent controls whose attack is less than or equal to the combined original attack of all Frightfur, Fluffal, and Edge Imp monsters you control. You can't attack directly with this monster the turn you activate this effect. Once per turn, you can tribute a monster to reduce a monster's attack by the tribute's attack and deal that much damage to the monster's controller.

Cyber Angel Halo Barrier. Continuous Trap.

Activate if you control a Cyber Angel ritual monster. All Cyber Angel ritual monsters you control can't be destroyed by card effects. You can send this card to the graveyard to select a monster on the field: the controller of that monster gains life points equal to that monster's attack.

Lunalight Indigo Coyote/Dark/Beast-Warrior/Effect/Attack: 1700/Defense: 1400.

When this card is added to your hand by an effect, you can special summon it. If this card is special summoned other than from it's own effect, add from your deck 1 fusion (including Polymerization) or Lunalight card to your hand.

Frightfur Hunting Game. Quick-Play Magic.

When a Frightfur monster you control battles, it gains 500 and deals piercing damage until the end of the battle phase.

Lunalight Cyan Turtle/Dark/Level: 4/Beast-Warrior/Effect/Attack: 500/Defense: 2000.

You can discard this card to reduce the damage you would take from a battle involving a Lunalight monster to 0. If this card is used as fusion material for a Lunalight monster, it gains this effect: you take no damage from battles involving this monster.

Performage Bubble Wand/Water/Level: 3/Spellcaster/Effect/Attack: 700/Defenes: 1300.

When this card is summoned while you control another Performage monster, you can discard a card to add 1 magic card from your deck to your hand.

Performage Trapeze Alchemist/Fire/Level: 7/Spellcaster/Fusion/Effect/Attack: 2400/Defense: 1900.

1 Performage monster + 1 Fire monster.

Once per turn, you can deal 400 damage to your opponent for each Performage monster you control. Whenever a Performage monster you control declares an attack it gains 200 attack for each spellcaster-type monster you control until the end of the battle phase.

Performage Trapeze Enchantress/Water/Level: 7/Spellcaster/Fusion/Effect/Attack: 1900/Defense: 2400.

1 Performage monster + 1 Water monster.

Once during each battle phase, you can negate one battle involving a Performage monster you control. During each of your end phases, gain 500 life points for each Performage you control.

Magician's Fusion. Normal Magic.

Fusion summon 1 spellcaster-type fusion monster from your extra deck using monsters from your hand or field as fusion materials. If this card is in your graveyard, you can pay 700 life points to banish this card and monsters on your field and in your graveyard as fusion materials to fusion summon 1 spellcaster-type fusion monster from your extra deck.

Cyber Sujet/Light/Level: 3/Warrior/Effect/Attack: 1000/Defense: 1200.

When a warrior or fairy-type monster you control is targeted for an attack, you can special summon this card from your hand in attack position to have that monster gain attack equal to their level x100 until the end of the turn. This card can't be destroyed by battle while in attack mode if you control another monster.

Sacrilege Avoidance. Normal Magic.

This turn, your opponent can't activate card effects in response to the activation of a ritual magic card or the summoning of a ritual monster. Ritual monsters are unaffected by your opponent's card effects this turn.

 **Note: Now I have Sora and Dennis in the mix. I really hope I can juggle the characters used well because having a large cast of characters and giving them some level of importance or even a moment to shine already feels daunting.**

 **I'm already planning ahead with how the world of Heartland operated before it was invaded. However, I'm trying to decide on a character from Zexal to use. However, I chose to pick a manga character to work with and I need to decide which of my two choices to use. Do I go with Luna or Kyoji Yagumo? A poll is on my profile or you can leave a comment for who you think should be included.**


	4. Whether You Should Have Pendulum

While Asuka and Serena waited and performed their tag duel against Sora and Dennis, Yuri was currently in the faculty meeting room. Among all the various teachers and staff members are the current head of Academy, Chancellor Samejima, and Fubuki Tenjouin and Edo Phoenix. Fubuki and Edo were attending since as the student body president and number one student in all of Academy respectively, they acted as representatives for the whole school. This huge meeting was about one thing and that was Yuri's pendulum cards and what to do with them and the new pendulum summoning method at the school.

"Should we really let these cards be with one student? Especially one who's only in the red rank?" one teacher points out.

"What we really should be questioning is the fact that the system considers it legitimate. Clearly this kid hacked his duel disc to make them legal!" another teacher claims.

"A duel disc monitored by computers at this school to make sure no one cheats and is also double checked by the opponent's duel disc to make sure all plays are legal? Yeah like that's likely to happen."

"Does no one want to question how Yuri's story is that the cards just magically appeared from no where? How does that work?"

"Excuse me?" Yuri interrupts. "Am I in trouble in anyway."

"No Yuri you're not in trouble or anything like that." Samejima reassures him. "It's just this is one of those moments that's so unexpected no one knows what to do. It would be one thing if this was just a case of a young red student defeating a blue ranked senior, but the fact that you used a method that changed the rules of the game on the spot makes us wonder if they should keep being used."

"If you're assuming that these are something that are completely broken, you're all wrong. My friends and I did a lot of test duels with pendulum cards and found that they aren't as invincible as everyone claims. They have weaknesses and limitations just like any other card."

"This is pointless." Edo speaks up. "Does it really matter whether or not Yuri can use them? After all, Academy has connections to the entire dueling world and once word of pendulum summoning and pendulum cards gets out, there's a high chance companies will want to study and mass produce them."

"Well you're not wrong Edo, but a number of people will still complain that he's using something that others don't have." Fubuki points out.

"Please, you can say the same thing about any rare or expensive card. Whether these cards are nigh-invincible or just regular cards with different rules, there's one way to find out."

In the present, Yuri tells Serena, Asuka, Sora, and Dennis what Edo's proposition was. "Edo challenged me to a duel."

"What?!" All four shout.

"When? Why?" Serena asks still shaken from the news.

"It'll be tomorrow at noon at duel stadium 8-A. His reasoning is that if pendulum summoning is overpowered then that means a red rank student as young as myself can defeat someone like Edo. If I lose to Edo tomorrow then I can keep my pendulum cards, but if I win, the school staff will consider them too powerful and I have to give up to balance things out."

"They can't do that!" Serena fumes.

"Yeah, we haven't even gotten a chance to face them ourselves." Sora adds earning a glare from Serena.

"Did you at least tell them about the limits we found out about them?" Asuka asks.

"I did but a duel will show it better than some notes." Yuri answers.

"Wait. What if Yuri throws the duel? How can they tell?" Dennis questions.

"I never throw a duel. If I did do you think I'd still be this rumored unbeatable duelist. Plus Edo claims that he's experienced enough to tell whether or not someone's giving their all so I can't fake a loss around him." Yuri responds.

"From the sound of things, it seems like a lose-lose situation no matter what. I mean if Yuri wins, they'll take away his pendulum summoning, but if he loses, well, he loses." Sora points out.

"Regardless of the outcome, we'll be cheering you on." Asuka happily tells him. When she says this, Yuri's eyes widen and he starts walking a good distance from the group.

"Huh, what are you doing Yuri?" Asuka asks.

"Well there's one more thing and I want to keep my distance so I don't get punched by Serena when she loses it. You see it was decided that a match between Edo and I would draw a ton of attention and the faculty decided that only those present at the meeting will be the only people allowed to watch the match." Yuri says.

Like he predicted, Serena starts shaking from rage that she won't get to see her rival/best friend fight the best student in Academy. Then she becomes unusually calm. "Fine."

"Wait you're ok with not being able to see my match with Edo?" Yuri asks.

"No I'm not, but this is to determine whether or not you'll still be able to use pendulum summoning so I wish you the best of luck Yuri."

"Thank you Serena. That means a lot."

"You're welcome. Now if you excuse me, I'm going to punch a wall."

The next day came with Academy's staff sitting at the stands of the duel arena to watch and evaluate the duel between Edo and Yuri. Unbeknownst to them above in one of the air ducts, Asuka, Serena, Dennis, and Sora watch from there. This was something that Dennis and Sora knew about and often used in order to sneak a watch at some private duels between the older students. Though this time they were facing a bit of a problem.

"Hey Dennis get your elbow out of my face." Serena says.

"I would but Sora keeps pushing me with his knee." Dennis responds.

"That's because you guys are crushing me." Sora says.

"Will you guys be quite so we don't get caught? How were you two able to watch any duels in tight places like this anyways?" Asuka asks.

"They're not usually this tight. Mainly because it's just the two of us and you guys are making things crowded." Sora explains.

"Well we want to see the match just as badly. Now shut up it's starting." Serena tells them as all four tries to look through the vent.

"Duel!"

Yuri: 4000 life points. Hand: 5.

Edo: 4000 life points. Hand: 5.

"For my first move, I summon Predaplant Sarraceniant." Yuri starts off.

Predaplant Sarraceniant. Level: 1. Dark. Plant/Effect. Attack: 100. Defense: 100.

"Now I play Polymerization to fuse Sarraceniant with the Predaplant Bladderwort Crow in my hand. Two beautiful flowers with an insect alluring fragrance. Bring forth a new flower that hungers. Fusion summon! Level 7! Predaplant Chimerafflesia!"

Predaplant Chimerafflesia. Level: 7. Dark. Plant/Fusion/Effect. Attack: 2500. Defense: 2000.

When Yuri's man-eating rafflesia monster appears both Sarraceniant crawls on Yuri's duel disc and a green crow with sharp teeth and yellow flower petals on it's back flies onto Yuri's duel disc and starts pecking it. This is the solid vision's way of showing both Predaplant Sarraceniant and Predaplant Bladderwort Crow's monster effects activating. Since Sarraceniant was sent to the grave by a card effect, Yuri gets to add a Predap card to his hand, in this case Predaplast, and since Bladderwort Crow was used as a fusion material, Yuri gets to reveal a plant-type monster from his deck to add it to his hand. If it's a pendulum monster, he can add a second plant-type monster. Yuri reveals that it's Predaplant Butterwort Gorgon so he gets to add Predaplant Venus Vampire to his hand.

Yuri sets a card to ends his turn and Edo begins his.

"I draw and I summon my Destiny Hero – Diamond Dude."

Destiny Hero – Diamond Dude. Level: 4. Dark. Warrior/Effect. Attack: 1400. Defense: 1600.

"Now I activate Diamond Dude's effect to reveal the top card of my deck. If it's a normal magic card, it'll be sent to the graveyard and I can activate its effect during my next main phase. Otherwise, I send the card to the bottom of my deck. The card is Destiny Draw so it'll be sent to the graveyard. Now it's time for me to bring out my own fusion monster. I play Polymerization to fuse Diamond Dude with Destiny Hero – Decider. Hero made of diamonds and hero who decides the fate of victory. Now become one and reign in the pitch-black future. Fusion summon! Level 8! Destiny Hero – Dystopia!"

Destiny Hero – Dystopia. Level: 8. Dark. Warrior/Fusion/Effect. Attack: 2800. Defense: 2400.

"If Dystopia is special summoned then once per turn, I can pick a Destiny Hero in my graveyard and deal damage to you equal to its attack. The monster I pick is Destiny Hero – Decider." At Edo's command, Dystopia creates a black energy ball that it throws at Yuri to deal 1600 damage.

Yuri: 2400 life points. Hand: 4.

"Now Destiny Hero – Dystopia battle Predaplant Chimerafflesia! Dystopia Blow!"

Yuri smirks. "Sorry Mr. Phoenix, but when an attack involving Chimerafflesia is declared, my plant gains 1000 attack points and your monster loses a 1000."

Predaplant Chimerafflesia. Attack: 3500.

Destiny Hero – Dystopia. Attack: 1800.

"I wouldn't get cocky kid. I activate Dystopia's other effect. Noble Justice! Once during either player's turn, when Dystopia's attack becomes different, I can restore it back to his original attack and destroy a card on the field and I destroy your Chimerafflesia." Dystopia's attack returns to its base 2800 and it releases a black energy blast that destroys Yuri's monster.

"He destroyed Yuri's monster just like that." Dennis comments.

"Not only that, but Edo's free to perform a direct attack and win." Asuka includes.

"Yuri if you lose in one turn, I'm going to hit you." Serena says.

"Trap card activate. Bog Fusion. When a fusion monster I control is destroyed, I get to banish the materials from my graveyard so I can fusion a Predaplant fusion monster that can be summoned using them." Yuri states as he activates his set card.

"Two beautiful flowers with an insect alluring fragrance! Become one flower that attracts all to their doom! Fusion summon! Level 6! Predaplant Arum Siren!"

Yuri fusion summons a giant green and purple flower growing from the ground. Coming out from the flower is a frightening plant woman with razor sharp teeth and claws.

Predaplant Arum Siren. Level: 6. Dark. Plant/Fusion/Effect. Attack: 2200. Defense: 2400.

"When Predaplant Arum Siren is special summoned, all monsters you control get a Predator Counter placed on them and become level 1." Yuri informs Edo as said counter appears on Dystopia's arm.

Destiny Hero – Dystopia. Level: 1. Predator Counter.

"That's not all. All monsters with Predator Counters must attack Arum Siren if able and when it battles a monster with a level lower than it then that monster's attack becomes halved. Given that Dystopia can only use its effect once per turn, you can't stop it from being destroyed by my flower."

Just as Yuri says, Dystopia goes in to attack the carnivorous flower woman and gets its attack cut in half. Then Arum Siren grabs the dark hero and bites him causing Dystopia's destruction.

Edo: 3200 life points. Hand: 3.

"I set a card face down and end my turn." Edo says. However, the moment he says that, a being dressed in a long multi-colored scarf wearing and a long jacket with light exploding out from where its hands and head should be appears in defense mode to summon Dystopia in attack mode and Diamond Dude in defense mode.

Destiny Hero – Doctor Time. Level: 5. Dark. Warrior/Effect. Attack: 0. Defense: 1000.

"Wait, what just happened?" Yuri asks completely baffled.

"During my end phase, if I control no monsters, I can special summon Destiny Hero – Doctor Time from my hand and special summon every Destiny Hero that was sent from the field to the grave back onto my field. Looks like you're going to have to try a little harder red." Edo gives Yuri a cocky smirk, which irritates him.

"My turn. Draw! First, since Chimerafflesia was destroyed, I get to add a fusion card from my deck to my hand so I pick Battle Fusion. Then I play Predaplast to reveal as many Predaplant monsters from my hand so I can put a Predator Counter on a monster for each one revealed." Yuri reveals three Predaplant monsters causing all three of Edo's monsters to gain Predator Counters.

Destiny Hero – Dystopia. Level: 1. Predator Counter.

Destiny Hero – Diamond Dude. Level: 1. Predator Counter.

Destiny Hero – Doctor Time. Level: 1. Predator Counter.

"Now, Edo, you want to face pendulum summoning then I'll gladly let you! With Scale 1, Predaplant Venus Vampire, and Scale 8, Predaplant Butterwort Gorgon, I set the pendulum scale! With this I can summon monsters with levels 2 through 7! Pendulum summon! Appear, my monsters! Level 3, Predaplant Sun Pitcher Turtle! And level 4, Predaplant Moray Nepenthes!" Yuri sets the scales and from the portal caused by the swinging pendulum are his Moray Nepenthes and a green snapping turtle with red pitcher plants growing from its shell.

Yuri's scales: 1-8.

Predaplant Sun Pitcher Turtle. Level: 3. Dark. Plant/Pendulum/Effect. Attack: 600. Defense: 1900. Scale: 5.

Predaplant Moray Nepenthes. Level: 4. Dark. Plant/Effect. Attack: 1600. Defense: 1000.

"Alright here's where things get really interesting." Yuri says with a smile. "When Sun Pitcher Turtle is special summoned, I get to add a Predaplant monster from my deck to my hand but I can't summon it this turn. I pick my Squid Drosera. Next I activate Venus Vampire's effect to fuse my Sun Pitcher Turtle and Moray Nepenthes to fusion a Dark monster and since both were pendulum summoned, you can't activate card effects in response to this. Two beautiful flowers with an insect alluring fragrance! Now become one and from beneath your petals, give birth to a new power! Fusion summon! Level 8! Starving Venom Fusion Dragon!"

Starving Venom Fusion Dragon. Level: 8. Dark. Dragon/Fusion/Effect. Attack: 2800. Defense: 2000.

"When Starving Venom is fusion summoned, I can make it gain attack equal to one of my opponent's special summoned monsters and I pick Dystopia. However, Starving Venom won't keep the attack boost for long as I use his other effect to gain Dystopia's name and effect until the end of the turn so I can return his attack to normal and destroy that set card of yours." Yuri makes his play causing his dragon to become stronger then back to its original attack so that it can release the same dark energy blast as Dystopia and destroy Edo's set trap card, Final Fusion.

"Final Fusion?" Yuri says.

"Yeah. I was going to activate it when my Dystopia battled one of your fusion monsters to deal massive damage. However, you'd be the one to take all the damage and lose because I would activate Destiny Hero – Decider's effect to return it to my hand and reduce the damage I would've taken to zero." Edo explains.

"Well your plan didn't work and I'm going to win by discarding Squid Drosera from my hand. By doing this, Starving Venom can attack every monster with a Predator Counter on it and I'll have him start off by attacking your Dystopia. Since he's a fusion monster that's battling, I can activate my Battle Fusion so Starving Venom will gain the same attack points as Dystopia!"

Starving Venom Fusion Dragon. Attack: 5600.

"And remember, all monsters with Predator Counters become level 1 and Predaplant Butterwort Gorgon's pendulum effect negates the effects of any monster with a level less than the level of a Dark monster I control that attacks it. Starving Venom! Full Bloom Destruction!"

At Yuri's command, Starving Venom Fusion Dragon fires its devastating attack destroying Destiny Hero – Dystopia and delivering serious damage to Edo. Before the attack can continue to eliminate the other two Destiny Hero monsters, Starving Venom gets cut up into pieces and is destroyed. Yuri becomes completely shocked at this sight and snaps out of it to see standing where Dystopia once stood a tall dark shadowy figure in a long black cloak, a top hat, and holding a big red knife.

Destiny Hero – Dagger. Level: 6. Dark. Warrior/Effect. Attack: 2000. Defense: 2000.

Edo: 400 life points. Hand: 0.

While Yuri is baffled by what just occurred, Edo explains what happened. "During the battle phase, when a Destiny Hero I control is destroyed, I can special summon Destiny Hero – Dagger from my hand to destroy another monster on the field and then end the battle phase. Looks like I'm still in this duel."

"Then I'll just activate Starving Venom Fusion Dragon's final effect! When he's destroyed, all special summoned monsters you control are also destroyed." Yuri growls from frustration at this as a dark miasma in the form of Starving Venom appears and destroys all of Edo's monsters. Since Yuri can't do anything else, he ends his turn.

"My turn. I draw and during my standby phase, Doctor Time gets special summoned to my field since you destroyed him. Also, I now get to use the effect of my Destiny Draw and draw 2 cards." Edo takes one look at his hand and concludes that this is the end. "Alright, I summon D Cubed."

D Cubed. Level: 1. Dark. Machine/Effect. Attack: 0. Defense: 0.

"I activate D Cubed's effect to discard a card so I can summon a second one from my deck. Now that I have three monsters on my field, I tribute all three to summon one of the strongest monsters in my deck, Destiny Hero – Plasma!"

Destiny Hero – Plasma. Level: 8. Dark. Warrior/Effect. Attack: 1900. Defense: 600.

"Destiny Hero – Plasma negates the effects of all monsters you control and I can take one of your monsters to equip it to him. Plasma then gains attack equal to half of that monster's original attack points." Plasma sucks up Predaplant Arum Siren with its dragon arm. After being sucked up, an outline of Yuri's monster appears inside one of Plasma's wings signifying its strength boost.

Destiny Hero – Plasma. Attack: 3000.

"Now Destiny Hero – Plasma attack Yuri directly! Bloody Fears!" At Edo's command, a rain of blood rapidly fires out of Plasma's wings to strike Yuri who grits and shouts at what's occurring to him. When the barrage of blood bullets stops, Yuri's on his knees.

Yuri: 0 life points. Hand: 0. Edo wins.

"Well that was an interesting match." Edo claims.

"Don't take them." Yuri mutters.

"What did you say?"

"I said don't take away my pendulum summoning! I still don't know where they came from, but I do know that these pendulum cards are mine! I want to be accepted by others regardless of my strength and even if I'm using something no one else has, I refuse to weaken myself just so I can belong to a bunch of cowards that don't even know what true power is!"

Yuri then quickly covers his mouth out of guilt from the rant he just delivered. He starts wondering what came over him and why he would suddenly act like that just now. Pendulum summoning wasn't something he had all his life like his Starving Venom so it wasn't that valuable to him, but Yuri internally admits that he agrees with everything he just said.

Edo starts glaring at the plant duelist for the coward remark, but before things get bad, Fubuki quickly gets in between them. "Now, now everyone let's settle down. It's obvious Yuri is just frustrated that he came close to beating Edo, I mean who wouldn't if they came close to beating someone who's called Number One. However, after what's been seen today, I think we can let Yuri keep his pendulum cards. Don't you agree Chancellor Samejima?"

"The purpose of the duel was to see if pendulum summoning is an unfair method of dueling by seeing if a red ranked student like Yuri could easily beat Academy's best student. Considering that Yuri still lost in the end even while using it, I think it's safe to say he can keep using it." Samejima concludes.

"Let the kid keep them. He did his very best from what I've seen and like I said earlier, once word gets out, there will be tons of pendulum cards being made." Edo shrugs.

After that, Samejima rules that Yuri will be allowed to use pendulum summoning so long as he tells them what the rules surrounding them are. In the air ducts, Serena and the group watch the aftermath.

"I knew Yuri hated being shunned by others but I didn't think his feelings toward it were that bad." Asuka says.

"He wants to enjoy dueling, but other than when I first beat him, I've never known Yuri to have an outburst like that. Actually, that may very well be the angriest I've ever seen him." Serena says with concern.

"Well looks like we should go be by his side." Dennis states.

"Yeah we should, but first, we got to get out of this stupid air duct!" Sora starts yelling since all four are still in a tight bind.

Standard Dimension.

At Maiami Second Middle School, Yuya's currently asleep during math class.

"Pendulum." Yuya snores.

"Mr. Sakaki, what's the answer to the question? Yuya Sakaki!" The teacher calls out Yuya who instantly wakes up.

"With Scale 1, Timegazer Magician, and huh?" Yuya instinctively says pulling out both Timegazer and Stargazer as if he's playing the card game, but then realizes what he's doing. Before he knows it, the teacher is right up in his face.

"Do you have any excuses?" 

"If I have an excuse, am I excused?"

"Of course you're not excused! Idiot!" Yuzu smacks Yuya hard with her fan.

After that embarrassing moment, classes end for the day and Yuya and Yuzu start to leave school.

"Geez, I know you've obsessed with your new pendulum summoning and have been practicing with it everyday since that day, but don't go daydreaming about it in class." Yuzu scolds Yuya.

"No need to get mad at me, besides you gave off a funny punchline from it." Yuya says.

"That's not the point. Any ways we need to get to You Show and help out our dads."

"Yeah you're right. Besides ever since the school representative event, I've been practicing like mad for this. Dad and I will show some great entertainment for the students today."

"You always do though I don't know how many more entertaining duels you can do in the future if you don't focus on your studies."

As they walk, three suction cup darts hit Yuya right in the face with the thrower saying they just got a triple bull's-eye. The person who threw the darts is a blond and brown haired boy wearing their school uniform.

"You're Yuya Sakaki. I'm Shingo Sawatari from Class 1, nice to meet you." Sawatari introduces himself as he politely shakes Yuya's hand and removes the darts from his face.

"Huh? Oh yeah, nice to meet you too." Yuya says.

"I saw the duel you had on TV when you first performed pendulum summoning. I must admit it was truly spectacular. What were those rare cards used to perform it called again? Pendulum cards?"

"Uh, yes that's them."

"Like I thought, rare cards like those are only usable by truly chosen people, right?" Sawatari's flattery makes Yuya feel overjoyed.

"Sawatari. Don't feed Yuya all this praise. It makes him act overconfident." Yuzu tells him before she turns to Yuya. "Yuya, come on. We're supposed to go to You Show now. Remember."

"Oh, you're right Yuzu. Sorry, Sawatari but we got to go. It was nice meeting you." Yuya says but before he and Yuzu can go, Sawatari stops him.

"Actually before you go, I don't suppose you can give me a demonstration of pendulum summoning up close? I know that there are a number of people who claim that what you did was cheating, but I see it as innovation. The Leo Corporation has been developing fusion, synchro, and xyz summoning for the past year now and will be releasing it to the public any time soon. So don't you think it's unfair that they consider pendulum summoning that way when there will be new ways of summoning monsters coming out in the future?"

Sawatari's smooth talk does sway Yuya easily. For the past year, there have been rumors that the Leo Corporation started developing three new methods of summoning monsters. They were backed up further by the fact that the founder of Leo Corporation, Leo Akaba, helped make Real Solid Vision, which paved the way in changing dueling forever. Since Leo and Yusho are friends who changed the dueling world with Action Duels, Yuya and Yuzu knew that those three summoning methods were actually being made thanks to Leo's son Reiji spearheading the development for them.

"Hang on, how do you know about those new summoning methods?" Yuzu eyes Sawatari suspiciously.

"Because I'm a student at Leo Duel School. The top students at LDS have actually practiced with fusion, synchro, or xyz just so Reiji Akaba can see how they work practically." Sawatari explains before going back to Yuya. "Though trust me, they're nothing compared to pendulum summoning. So can you show me? We can even use one of the Action Fields at LDS."

"Really! Why not? I'll just call my dad and tell him I'll be a little late to entertain a fan. He'll understand." Yuya says with a bigger smile.

"Yuya." Yuzu groans at how her friend can be so easily manipulated by both flattery and his desire to please people.

The three arrive at LDS with Sawatari giving them a quick tour before going to one of the center court action field. Yuzu tagged along to make sure Yuya doesn't do anything that could get him hurt after she called her dad about the situation. Shuzo and Yusho both seem fine with them visiting LDS so long as they make the trip quick.

"Whoa. This duel field looks amazing." Yuya admires the center court.

"Only the best for those in LDS. Which reminds me, can I see those pendulum cards up close for a moment? The ones that let you pendulum summoning." Sawatari asks in a sweet voice.

Yuya takes out Timegazer Magician and Stargazer Magician to show Sawatari, but before he does, he suddenly feels a sharp pain across his body. The cause of the pain comes from Zarc, who figured out Sawatari's motive.

" _ **NO! Yuri almost lost his pendulum cards to those fools at Academy. I'm not risking any other of my pieces losing them."**_

Yuya puts the cards back into his deck box. "Sorry Sawatari, but you see it's better for an entertainer to show the special effects in action. I mean, who wants to see the behind the scenes stuff anyways?

"Everyone with an internet connection." Yuzu snidely remarks.

"Oh come on please?" Sawatari begs with some growing annoyance.

"Sorry no. How about a quick demonstration and Yuzu and I will leave." Yuya offers.

"Fine! Then how much are you willing to sell them for?" Sawatari blurts out from anger.

"Sell them?" Yuya questions.

"I knew it! You were after Yuya's pendulum cards from the beginning! Forget it pal, neither you or anyone else will be taking them from him so what gives you the right to have them." Yuzu proclaims.

"You see I love rare cards. In fact, I make all of my decks out of the rarest and best cards money can buy. I've wanted those cards for myself the moment I saw them." Sawatari admits.

"Well sorry but I'm not giving up my pendulum cards. We're leaving." Yuya walks off but he and Yuzu stop when they see three of Sawatari's friends blocking the only way out.

"I reserved the center court just so I could not only show that I am one of few chosen-."

"Hey tell these guys to move!" Yuzu interrupts Sawatari's monologue.

"As I was saying, not only to show that I am one of the few chosen to wield–."

"I told you we're leaving so tell these guys to move!" Yuya also interrupts.

"–To wield such rare cards, but–."

"I'll beat the crap out of you!" Yuzu threatens.

"Will you two stop interrupting me?! Look I'm going to prove that I'm not only deserving of pendulum cards but that I can take down the son of Yusho Sakaki with them. So how about this Sakaki, you and I duel. If you win, I'll let you two go but if you lose, you have to hand over your pendulum cards." Sawatari cuts to the chase and openly challenges Yuya.

"I'm not going to give up my pendulum cards but I'm not going to let you push us around. I accept." Yuya activates his duel disc.

"Very well. Action field on! Dark Town's Prison Tower!" As Sawatari snaps his fingers, the action field generator starts up to turn the empty court into a city at night. As the Real Solid Vision constructs the field, Yuzu gets launched up into the air as the spot she is standing on is where a massive chained up clock tower starts forming.

"Yuzu!" Yuya cries out as he runs on the forming structures to try and help her.

"The princess should be imprisoned in the tower, don't you agree?" Sawatari mocks.

Eventually, the action field fully forms and Yuya is in a dark alley near Sawatari, while Yuzu is far away on top of the clock tower attached to a bridge on a river. With Sawatari's duel disc activated and being a clear obstacle, Yuya decides to participate in the duel so he can save Yuzu.

"Looks like you're ready to go. Let's get to it shall we!" At this moment, Sawatari and his three lackeys begin the action duel chant.

"Duelists locked in battle!"

"Kicking the earth and dancing in the air alongside their monsters!"

"They storm the field!"

"Behold! This is the newest and greatest evolution of dueling!"

"Action! Duel!"

Yuya: 4000 life points. Hand: 5.

Sawatari: 4000 life points. Hand: 5.

"I'm first!" Yuya claims after the action cards scatter. "With Scale 1, Stargazer Magician, and Scale 8, Timegazer Magician, I set the pendulum scale! With this I can summon monsters with levels 2 through 7! Pendulum summon! Appear, Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon!"

Yuya's scales: 1-8.

Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon. Level: 7. Dark. Dragon/Pendulum/Effect. Attack: 2500. Defense: 2000. Scale: 4.

"I end my turn." Yuya hops on his dragon and rides it toward Yuzu's location.

"My turn. Draw!" Sawatari says just as a voice comes from his duel disc with the image of the person blocked.

" _It appears that the pendulum cards are acting as magic cards for the moment. Use that to your advantage."_

"Ok. That works out perfectly for me. I summon Eidos the Underworld Squire."

Eidos the Underworld Squire. Level: 2. Dark. Spellcaster/Effect. Attack: 800. Defense: 1000.

"When he's summoned I can tribute summon in addition to my regular normal summon so I sacrifice him to tribute summon Mobius the Frost Monarch!"

Mobius the Frost Monarch. Level: 6. Water. Aqua/Effect. Attack: 2400. Defense: 1000.

"When Mobius is tribute summoned, I can destroy up to two magic or trap cards so I'm destroying your both of your pendulum cards!"

"Wait what?! You can do that?" Yuya questions. Mobius calls upon a freezing wind that completely destroys both of Yuya's magicians. Yuya becomes so shocked at seeing them both destroyed, he doesn't notice that Sawatari grabbed an action card.

"Action Magic Power Level! I target a monster and it gains attack equal to its level times 100 this turn. With it, I make Mobius gain 600 attack points."

Mobius the Frost Monarch. Attack: 3000.

Sawatari declares his attack and Mobius launches icicle spears at Odd-Eyes. Yuya snaps out of his funk and grabs an action card to protect his monster. Unfortunately for him, it turns out to be an action trap. Action Trap Mugging instantly activates and reduces Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon's attack by 500. With such a wide power difference, Odd-Eyes gets destroyed and Yuya falls onto the ground. Sawatari mockingly laughs at Yuya as he rides on one of Mobius's shoulders.

"It looks like even the action cards have chosen me, Yuya Sakaki!"

Yuya: 3000 life points. Hand: 2.

As the monarch approaches, Yuya starts feeling scared then desperate and soon starts feeling anger.

 **OC cards**

Predaplant Bladderwort Crow/Dark/Level: 2/Plant/Effect/Attack: 500/Defense: 500.

If this card is sent to the graveyard as a fusion material, you can reveal a plant-type monster from your deck and add it to your hand. If it is a pendulum card, you can add one plant-type monster to your hand from your deck.

Bog Fusion. Trap Card.

When a fusion monster you control is destroyed and its materials are in your graveyard, you can banish the materials to fusion summon a Predaplant fusion monster that can be summoned using them.

Predaplant Arum Siren/Dark/Level: 6/Plant/Fusion/Effect/Attack: 2200/Defense: 2400.

1 plant-type monster + 1 Dark monster.

When this card is special summon place a Predator Counter on every monster your opponent controls (level 2 or higher monsters with Predator Counters become level 1). All monsters with Predator Counters must attack Predaplant Arum Siren if able. When this card battles a monster with a level equal to or lower than its level, halve the opposing monster's attack during the battle.

Destiny Hero – Doctor Time/Dark/Level: 5/Warrior/Effect/Attack: 0/Defense: 1000.

This card can only be special summoned by its own effect. During your end phase if you control no monsters, you can special summon this card and special summon every Destiny Hero in your graveyard that was sent from the field to the graveyard this turn. If this card is destroyed by your opponent and sent to the graveyard, you can special summon it during your next standby phase.

 _(Note: Based on the Doctor from Doctor Who.)_

Predaplant Sun Pitcher Turtle/Dark/Level: 3/Plant/Pendulum/Effect/Attack: 600/Defense: 1900/Scale: 5.

Pendulum: Once per turn, you can add 1 level 4 or lower plant-type monster from your graveyard to your hand.

Monster: When this card is special summoned, you can add 1 Predaplant monster from your deck to your hand, but it can't be summoned this turn.

Destiny Hero – Dagger/Dark/Level: 6/Warrior/Effect/Attack: 2000/Defense: 2000.

During the battle phase, when a Destiny Hero you control is destroyed by your opponent, you can special summon this card from your hand: destroy another monster on the field then end the battle phase.

 _(Note: Based on Jack the Ripper.)_

Power Level. Action Magic.

Target monster gains attack points equal to its level x100 until the end phase.

Mugging. Action Trap.

A monster you control loses 500 attack points until the end phase.

 **Note: It only just occurred to me as I was writing about how the action field was forming that the action field Yuya and Sawatari are dueling on is a combination of two Destiny Hero field cards in a chapter that has Edo dueling.**

 **I talked to LoveGlutton about including Sawatari and how to approach his inclusion. We both agreed that a Monarch deck would be perfect to counter Yuya's pendulum deck since it looked like he was going to use it as revenge in the anime, but we never saw it because Yuto showed up. Now there's an AU idea. How different would Arc V be if Yuto hadn't appeared in episode 7 and Standard never got involved in any dimensional war? Well other than Yuzu dueling Sawatari's Monarchs (missed opportunity), it would be a completely different anime that's what.**


	5. Duel Interruptions

Yuya: 3000 life points. Hand: 2.

Sawatari: 4000 life points. Hand: 4.

Sawatari now has a strong lead against Yuya. Not just in having more life points, but he has a monster, while Yuya has nothing on his field. He starts feeling distress that his pendulum cards were destroyed and Yuzu is still high up on top of a clock tower.

"I told you before Sakaki that I adore rare cards and want them. So I'll take one of them now. I play Monster Reborn and special summon your Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon to my side." Sawatari announces as he activates the magic card.

"What!" Yuya shouts. Actually hearing that his dragon would be used by someone other than him starts making him furious. However, his rage quickly dies down when Sawatari finds that he can't summon it.

"Huh? What gives? How come your Odd-Eyes isn't in the graveyard? Actually, why is my duel disc saying that your entire graveyard is empty?!"

"Wait my graveyard is empty. Then where are my pendulum cards? They're in the extra deck. Wait what's that?"

" _The extra deck is an in-game side deck meant to store monsters of a special summoning condition. All the latest models of duel discs now have them for when fusion, synchro, and xyz monsters will be made public because that's where they'll be summoned from in the game. It seems that when pendulum cards go from the field to the graveyard, they actually go to the extra deck."_ The voice coming from Sawatari's duel disc explains.

"Hey is someone giving you advice Sawatari?" Yuya accuses.

"Does it really matter Sakaki. Besides it's obvious you don't know everything about pendulum cards so I'm just figuring them out for when I get to use them." Sawatari boasts.

"Sounds more like the guy helping you is doing all the work figuring them out and they're using you to do it."

"Will you shut up! Since I can't special summon any of your monsters then I'll just bring back Eidos the Underworld Squire. When he's summoned, I get perform another tribute summon this turn so I'll sacrifice my squire to summon Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch."

Thestalos the Firestorm Monarch. Level: 6. Fire. Pyro/Effect. Attack: 2400. Defense: 1000.

"When Thestalos is tribute summoned, my opponent must discard a random card and if it's a monster, you'll take damage equal to that monster's level times 100." Yuya discards Wonder Balloons so he's safe from damage though he now has two strong monsters to deal with. Sawatari ends his turn there.

Up on the clock tower, Yuzu watches the duel and starts worrying about Yuya. Something catches her eye and she sees sticking to the tower is an action card. Looking at it, Yuzu gets an idea.

"It's my tu–." Yuya says as he's about to start until Yuzu interrupts.

"My turn and draw! I'm joining this duel Yuya!" Yuzu shouts out to her friend with her duel disc active and her starting hand drawn. Both she and Yuya have smiles on their faces until.

"INTRUSION PENALTY. 2000 LIFE POINTS."

"Eh? AAAAIIIIIIIIIIIEEEEEEEEEE!" Yuzu looks at what her duel disc says before screaming in agony at being electrocute by it and falling back.

Yuzu: 2000 life points. Hand: 6.

"Ok what happened?" Sawatari questions.

" _If a duelist tries to enter a duel that's already in progress, they'll suffer a penalty of 2000 life points that can't be prevented. If Ms. Hiragi wants to participate, she'll need a handicap."_

"Yuzu! Are you alright?!" Yuya asks about her safety.

"Ugh. I'm fine, just shaken up a little." Yuzu says as she gets up. She grabs the action card and proceeds to start her turn. "Alright, I play 1st Movement Solo to special summon from my hand, Serenade the Melodious Diva."

Serenade the Melodious Diva. Level: 4. Light. Fairy/Effect. Attack: 400. Defense: 1900.

"When Serenade is used as a tribute for a fairy-type monster, she can be treated as two tributes so I sacrifice her to summon the master of all beautiful music, Mozarta the Melodious Maestra."

Mozarta the Melodious Maestra. Level: 8. Light. Fairy/Effect. Attack: 2600. Defense: 2000.

Yuzu lets Mozarta carry her as her monster flutters down off of the clock tower and they land on the ground. Yuzu then uses Mozarta's effect to special summon Sonata the Melodious Diva in defense mode. Since Sonata is special summoned then its effect activates to give all fairy-type monsters she controls 500 attack points.

Mozarta the Melodious Maestra. Attack: 3100.

Sonata the Melodious Diva. Level: 3. Light. Fairy/Effect. Attack: 1200 (now 1700). Defense: 1000.

"Now I attack Thestalos with Mozarta. Graceful Wave!" Mozarta fires a bright light from her wings accompanied by a beautiful sound that completely destroys one of Sawatari's monarchs.

Sawatari: 3300 life points. Hand: 2.

"I set two cards and end my turn. Ok, Yuya it's your turn." Yuzu says.

"Right. I draw. I summon Performapal Skeeter Skimmer and set a card face down. I end my turn." Yuya uses up what little options he has. After that, he and Yuzu start moving around the action field with their monsters to look for action cards.

"Hey Yuzu, thanks for helping me out though I'm sorry you had to take that penalty." Yuya says to her.

"Don't worry about it. I'll cover you until you can make some comeback or I beat this jerk down for trapping us. Which ever comes first." Yuzu says as they parkour through the Dark City.

"As if they can even hope to beat the fabulous me." Sawatari cockily talks to himself before starting his turn. "My turn. Draw. Since one of my opponents has two magic or trap cards on the field, I can special summon Escher the Frost Vassal."

Escher the Frost Vassal. Level: 4. Water. Aqua/Effect. Attack: 800. Defense: 1000.

"Now if I tribute a monster that was tribute summoned then I can summon this guy with just that monster. So I tribute Mobius the Frost Monarch to tribute summon Mobius the Mega Monarch!"

Mobius the Mega Monarch. Level: 8. Water. Aqua/Effect. Attack: 2800. Defense: 1000.

"When Mobius the Mega Monarch is tribute summoned I can destroy up to three magic and trap cards, and the best part is that since that I used a Water monster to summon him then you can't activate any of the cards in response to this. So I'll get rid of the two cards you, Yuzu, have set and the one Yuya set."

Mobius releases a cold wind that destroys both of Yuzu's set cards, but when it goes for Yuya's card, he gives off a grin. When his card gets destroyed, many smiley faces explode out and cover the field.

"Thanks Sawatari. You were a big help with this. The trap card you destroyed was Smile Surprise. When it leaves the field then every player gets to draw until they have five cards in their hand so we all get to replenish our hands." Yuya cheerfully says as he pulls out five cards from his deck in one motion.

"You do know that benefits me just as much?" Sawatari brings up.

"True, but duels are suppose to bring smiles to everyone so when everyone's happy with a move then it's definitely good."

"Well I'll let you know that I'm happy with this hand because I play Double Summon. This magic card lets me perform a second normal summon this turn so I get to tribute Escher the Frost Vassal to summon Zaborg the Thunder Monarch."

Zaborg the Thunder Monarch. Level: 5. Light. Thunder/Effect. Attack: 2400. Defense: 1000.

"When Zaborg is tribute summoned, I destroy a monster on the field and I pick Yuya Sakaki's Skeeter Skimmer." Zaborg fires a lightning bolt that destroys Yuya's insect then he continues his turn. "Next I'll equip Mobius with Fairy Meteor Crush so he can inflict piercing damage. Now as punishment for interrupting my duel with Yuya, I'll have Mobius attack Sonata!"

Mobius fires icicle spears that destroy Yuzu's diva. The powerful shockwave sends her flying back but she gets caught by Mozarta. Sawatari turns his attention to Yuya by having Zaborg fire a lightning bolt at Yuya and shocking him in a direct attack. After knocking down both of their life points drastically, Sawatari sets a card and ends his turn.

Yuya: 600 life points. Hand: 5.

Yuzu: 200 life points. Hand: 5.

Mozarta the Melodious Maestra. Attack: 2600.

"My turn. Draw. I activate Mozarta's effect to special summon a Light fairy-type monster from my hand to bring out Shopina the Melodious Maestra." Yuzu says as she summons a high level Melodious monster easily.

Shopina the Melodious Maestra. Level: 7. Light. Fairy/Effect. Attack: 2300. Defense: 1700.

"I use Shopina's effect to add Sonata back to my hand from the grave then I special summon her since her effect lets me if I control a Melodious monster. Now I turn my trio into a quartet by playing the magic card Photon Lead so I can special summon Aria the Melodious Diva!"

Aria the Melodious Diva. Level: 4. Light. Fairy/Effect. Attack: 1600. Defense: 1200.

"Here's the best part. Not only will Sonata's effect power up my monsters but Aria makes it so that all Melodious monsters I control can't be destroyed by battle or targeted by card effects since she was special summoned." Yuzu's fairy quartet all sing a harmonious tune as they receive the effects of Sonata and Aria.

Mozarta the Melodious Maestra. Attack: 3100.

Shopina the Melodious Maestra. Attack: 2800.

Aria the Melodious Diva. Attack: 2100.

Sonata the Melodious Diva. Attack: 1700.

Feeling very confident, Yuzu declares a battle between Mozarta and Mobius. However, just as the attack commences, Sawatari discards a card so he can activate his face down Special Hurricane, which destroys all special summoned monsters on the field. This leaves Yuzu with only her Mozarta, but without Sonata, the monster is now weaker than Mobius and she'll lose the last of her life points. Things change when Yuya grabs an action card and plays it.

"Action Magic Redirect. I change Mozarta's attack target from Mobius to Zaborg!" Mozarta's attack misses Mobius and destroys the Thunder Monarch instead.

Sawatari: 3100 life points. Hand: 0.

"Will you two stop helping each other?" Sawatari snaps at the entertainment duo.

"NO!"

"I end my turn. Yuya, I trust that you got this?" Yuzu asks.

"Don't worry Yuzu I got this. My turn and draw." Yuya looks at the card he draws and gives a big smile that it's Smile World. "In fact, the fun has just begun! Ladies and gentlemen! It's showtime! First, with Scale 3, Performapal Turn Toad, and Scale 8, Performapal Skullcrobat Joker, I set the pendulum scale!"

Yuya's scales: 3-8.

"With this I can simultaneously summon monsters with levels 4 to 7. Pendulum summon! Return Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon! Now I begin the real fun with this magic card. Smile World!"

Figuring that his pendulum cards went to the extra deck for a reason and after overhearing from the guy Sawatari talked to about how that's where the new kinds of monsters will be summoned from, Yuya figured out he could pendulum summon his dragon from there. Now with Smile World activated, the gloomy city setting becomes much brighter with all the colorful smiling faces powering up every monster.

Mobius the Mega Monarch. Attack: 3100.

Mozarta the Melodious Maestra. Attack: 2900.

Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon. Attack: 2800.

"Ha ha ha! Is this the best you can do Yuya? That card you just played hasn't changed a thing." Sawatari laughs.

"Actually Smile World just helped me greatly. You see Smile World increases the attack of every monster on the field but it doesn't increase their defense points. So I'll use Turn Toad's pendulum effect to switch Mobius's attack with its defense."

Mobius the Mega Monarch. Attack: 1000. Defense: 3100.

"Now I attack Mobius the Mega Monarch with Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon and when Odd-Eyes inflicts battle damage from fighting a monster then that damage is doubled! Odd-Eyes attack with Spiral Strike Burst!"

"Not happening!" Sawatari shouts as he dives to grab an action card and plays it. "Action Magic Evasion. You're attack is negated."

"No it's not. Action Magic No Action! Your action card is negated and destroyed." Yuzu intervenes by playing the action card she grabbed on top of the tower. Thanks to this, Odd-Eye's attack continues and destroys Mobius to deal twice the damage.

Sawatari: 0 life points. Hand: 0. Yuya and Yuzu win.

After Sawatari's defeat, Yuya and Yuzu high five another then turn to confront Sawatari and his friends.

"Alright we won." Yuya states.

"Yeah now move it you three so we can go." Yuzu demands.

"Oh no you two don't." Sawatari gets up. "You two aren't going anywhere until I get some of those pendulum cards!"

" _Let them go."_ The voice from Sawatari's duel disc orders.

"Hey you can't tell me what to do. Do you know who my father is?"

" _Do you know who my father is? If you think about it, my father has much more power thanks to his accomplishments compared to someone who only aspires to be mayor like yours. Plus, I'm the one who hired you for this duel and I got what I needed from it so let them go. Now."_

Fearing the authority coming from the guy's voice, Sawatari obliges and let's the two leave. As they walk to the LDS exit, both wonder about who Sawatari was talking too.

At the Leo Corporation, the person on the other side of the conversation turns off communication and it's Reiji Akaba. Just as he does so his father, Leo Akaba, enters the observation room. He's dressed in a grey business suit with a spade shaped collar and balding gray hair.

"Tell me Reiji. Is there any reason you forced Yusho's son in a duel like that?" Leo questions.

"You found out about it quickly." Reiji states in a stoic fashion.

"You're my son. Despite you're bad habit of being secretive there's nothing you can hide from me."

"Sorry but I've been curious about Yuya Sakaki's pendulum cards and wanted data on them. The duel he had gave a sufficient amount." Reiji shows what was collected from the duel on a computer screen.

"It does seem good but I don't like the method you used. Especially since that girl was in trouble." Leo scolds Reiji.

"I didn't expect her to get involved. I'm sorry I got them involved in this especially since you're friends with their fathers, but I would like to learn more about these mysterious pendulum cards."

As Reiji says this, images flash before Leo's eyes of him studying holograms with mass, duels using Real Solid Vision and then a large black dragon destroying everything. It puts him in a panic causing Reiji to go by his father's side.

"Father, are you alright?" Reiji shows concern for his father.

"It's nothing. Just another one of my episodes." Leo composes himself before turning back to Reiji. "Reiji, from one genius to another, you need to be careful when you make discoveries. They can lead to unwanted results if the world is not ready."

"I understand."

Synchro Dimension.

In one of the City's junkyards, Crow, Yugo, and Rin drop off some stuff to sell for recycling to make some extra cash. Ever since the tournament where Yugo discovered pendulum summoning, Yugo and Rin have became good friends with Crow, Shinji, and the kids they take care of. After Yugo was allowed to continue, he lost the next round against Shinji due to not knowing how to do pendulum summoning. He got a good scolding from Rin, but Crow and Shinji decided to spend time helping Yugo out in learning the secrets of pendulum cards.

Because of Rin's speech, all the Commons start thinking that Yugo is some kind of miracle child who can bring them hope. She admits she just said that stuff so Yugo could continue, but it didn't change that overnight, Yugo garnered his own fame. Crow and Shinji help trained the two to improve both their skills in dueling and riding a D-Wheel since they're more experienced. Acquiring the pendulum cards did seem to benefit Yugo and Rin pretty well. It even further motivated them to win the Friendship Cup.

"Well it's not much, but at least it's enough to give the kids a good dinner tonight." Crow says looking over the money he got from selling the scrap.

"Don't worry Crow, when I win the Friendship Cup, I'll make sure you and the others don't have to worry about whether or not you get a good meal." Yugo declares proudly.

"The Friendship Cup is still a long ways away Yugo. So focus on the now." Rin informs Yugo. "Like winning the other tournaments in Commons until then."

"Relax Rin. I won the last one a few days ago and there's only like one or two more. Besides with these pendulum cards, no one has been able to beat me." Yugo says holding up Speedroid Carddragonfly and Speedroid Dominobutterfly.

"I can't relax because you're getting pretty cocky. And what do you mean no one has been able to beat you, I defeated you yesterday."

"That was a practice duel! Those don't count."

"Actually Yugo, I agree with Rin. The Commons do see you as some miracle, but we know you are capable of losing so try to stay focus." Crow says.

"Fine, but don't worry. I promise all of you that no matter who I'm up against, I won't lose especially when it counts." Yugo promises as he and Rin get on their D-Wheel.

"That's good to hear." Crow gets on his D-Wheel and they ride off.

As they get on the City's highway, they're spotted by a big guy on a large D-Wheel who gives a sadistic smile. The large man starts up his D-Wheel and rides off to get up on the highway. When the three riding duelists hear the sound of the large D-Wheel.

"That sound. Looks like we have someone on our tail guys." Rin tells Yugo and Crow.

"It's probably Security coming to arrest us and put on a show for the Tops." Crow speculates.

"Let them try. I can show off how powerful pendulum summoning is to everyone." Yugo proudly says.

However, when the three see the approaching D-Wheel, they don't hear any of the blaring sirens that are standard for Security. In fact, the D-Wheel looks large and sinister, and the driver is going at ramming speed. Crow and Yugo swerve to the sides so the rider can miss them and Crow gets a good look at him.

"That's Sergey! Guys we got to get out of here!"

"Wait Sergey. As in the Duel Crusher?" Rin asks.

"I thought that guy died or something? What he's doing here?" Yugo questions.

"Crush." Sergey speaks getting all three of their attention. Sergey presses a button on his D-Wheel and a red energy beam strikes both Crow and Yugo's D-Wheel's forcing them to switch to duel mode and initiating a battle royal.

"Duel anchor. Now you must duel miracle child of the Commons and be crushed by me." Sergey states.

"Oh no. Yugo, I think Sergey wants to duel you because of your new reputation." Rin guesses.

"Yugo we can't duel this guy! Everyone who goes up against him receive serious injuries in the end or worse!" Crow shouts with worry.

"Well it doesn't look like we have a choice do we. Besides I just promised you guys I won't lose a duel when it counts and since it involves you two's safety, I won't lose." Yugo tells them with strong determination.

Feeling Yugo's determination, Rin gives him encouragement. "Utterly crush him, Yugo."

With this, all three start this life risking duel. "Riding duel acceleration!"

"Duel!"

Yugo: 4000 life points. Hand: 5.

Crow: 4000 life points. Hand: 5.

Sergey: 4000 life points. Hand: 5.

"I start off by summoning Thorn Prisoner Van and setting a card. I end my turn." Sergey says summoning his monster.

Thorn Prisoner Van. Level: 1. Dark. Fiend/Effect. Attack: 0. Defense: 0.

"Huh? That's all?" Rin questions.

"Maybe the stories about him were exaggerated?" Yugo speculates.

"Focus Yugo! Whether they're true or not, we can't underestimate anyone." Crow advises.

"Right. My turn. Draw. I discard Speedroid Tri-Eyed Dice so I can special summon Speedroid Carddragonfly through its effect." Yugo summons his monster.

Speedroid Carddragonfly. Level: 5. Wind. Machine/Pendulum/Effect. Attack: 1900. Defense: 1800. Scale: 1.

"I then bring out my tuner, Speedroid Bright-Eyed Dice." Yugo summons a green ten-sided dice with eye markings.

Speedroid Bright-Eyed Dice. Level: 2. Wind. Machine/Tuner/Effect. Attack: 500. Defense: 500.

"Now I tune Carddragonfly with Bright-Eyed Dice. Spread those wondrous and beautiful wings and strike down your enemies at the speed of light! Synchro summon! Level 7! Clear Wing Synchro Dragon!"

Clear Wing Synchro Dragon. Level: 7. Wind. Dragon/Synchro/Effect. Attack: 2500. Defense: 2000.

"I end my turn with that and I let you take over Crow." Yugo passes things over to Crow.

" _You have grown Yugo. You got a good set up since Clear Wing will stop whatever monster effect Sergey could have plus Tri-Eyed Dice will negate an attack while Bright-Eyed Dice will deliver any damage you take onto Sergey as well. We're ready for whatever gets thrown at us."_ Rin thinks to herself as she holds on during the riding duel.

"My turn. Draw. Alright since I control no cards I can special summon Blackwing – Gust the Backblast." Crow starts his turn.

Blackwing – Gust the Backblast. Level: 2. Dark. Winged-Beast/Effect. Attack: 900. Defense: 1400.

"Next I activate Synchronized Realm. As long as this magic card is on the field, I can deal 500 points of damage each time I perform a synchro summon. Which will be coming up because I summon Blackwing – Pinaki the Waxing Moon."

Blackwing – Pinaki the Waxing Moon. Level: 3. Dark. Winged-Beast/Tuner/Effect. Attack: 1200. Defense: 1000.

"Now I tune Pinaki with Gust. Pitch-black wings eclipse the stars as you take flight. Synchro summon! Level 5! Blackwing – Gram the Shining Star! And you take 500 points of damage from Synchronized Realm, Sergey!"

Sergey: 3500 life points. Hand: 3.

Blackwing – Gram the Shining Star. Level: 5. Dark. Winged-Beast/Synchro/Effect. Attack: 2200. Defense: 1500.

"I'm not finished just yet. Since I control a Blackwing monster, I can special summon the tuner monster Blackwing – Oroshi the Squall from my hand."

Blackwing – Oroshi the Squall. Level: 1. Dark. Winged-Beast/Tuner/Effect. Attack: 400. Defense: 600.

"Now I perform another synchro summoning with my monsters! Brandish the great blade of myth, heroic raptor! Synchro summon! Level 6! Blackwing – Nothung the Stardust! When Nothung is special summoned, you take 800 points of damage and a monster you control loses 800 attack plus Synchronized Realm deals an additional 500 damage!"

Sergey: 2200 life points. Hand: 3.

Blackwing – Nothung the Stardust. Level: 6. Dark. Winged-Beast/Synchro/Effect. Attack: 2400. Defense: 1600.

"Wow, Crow's really going all out on the guy." Yugo notes.

"Yeah and Sergey's just taking it. Maybe the stories about him were exaggerations?" Rin says.

"I set a card and end my turn. During the end of the turn Blackwing – Pinaki the Waxing Moon is sent to my graveyard, I get to add a Blackwing monster from my deck to my hand. I choose Blackwing – Breeze the Zephyr and special summon it since it was added to my hand."

Blackwing – Breeze the Zephyr. Level: 3. Dark. Winged-Beast/Tuner/Effect. Attack: 1100. Defense: 300.

" _I don't know why Sergey's taking a beating like this, but it gives us a chance to win. If he does attack me with some big monster, I have Black Sonic set and ready for him, and Yugo's got his dragon. We won't lose to this guy."_ Crow seriously thinks to himself.

All three notice that Sergey starts laughing maniacally and shouting 'more, more' as if he enjoyed the experience. Then he faces the trio with an evil gleeful smile. "The pain. The pain is great. Raise your hopes up more so I can crush it even more. My turn! Draw!"

"That didn't sound good." Yugo realizes.

"I summon my tuner monster Thorn Prisoner Darlie." Sergey summons another monster.

Thorn Prisoner Darlie. Level: 1. Dark. Fiend/Tuner/Effect. Attack: 0. Defense: 0.

"Now I tune it with Thorn Prisoner Van. Lay bare your twisted and wicked desire and offer your flesh to the thorns! Synchro summon! Level 2! Thorn Observer Zuma!"

Thorn Observer Zuma. Level: 2. Dark. Fiend/Synchro/Effect. Attack: 0. Defense: 0.

When Sergey summons his synchro monster, all monsters suddenly get wrapped in bonds made of thorns. Since Zuma was just synchro summoned then every monster has a Thorn Counter on it. Now not only will the turn player take 400 damage for each Thorn Counter on their side of the field, but Zuma makes it so that any monster with a Thorn Counter can't attack. Things get worse when Sergey activates his face down card.

"Trap card activate! Psychological Torture. Now that each player controls a monster summoned from the extra deck, we each pick the one we control with the highest attack and choose to either take damage equal to its current attack or have that monster's attack be reduced to 0 and its effects negated. I'll go first and pick Thorn Observer Zuma and I choose to take damage equal to his attack."

Nothing happens and Sergey gives Yugo and Crow a mocking laugh since his monster has 0 attack points so, of course, he would take no damage.

"I pick Nothung the Stardust and choose to reduce its attack and remove its effect." Crow reluctantly picks.

Blackwing – Nothung the Stardust. Attack: 0.

"I pick Clear Wing Synchro Dragon and I choose to take the damage." Yugo chooses as a blast hits him to reduce his life points.

Yugo: 1500 life points. Hand: 2.

When Yugo takes the damage, Sergey turns his D-Wheel in the hopes to smash right into Yugo. Rin holds onto Yugo tightly as he quickly dodges and starts riding on the edge of the highway. Now Sergey is behind him in the riding duel.

"Rin are you ok?" Yugo asks.

"Nevermind me. Just activate Bright-Eyed Dice so we can get out of here!" Rin shouts and Yugo nods that she figured out what he had planned.

"Right. I banish Speedroid Bright-Eyed Dice from my graveyard. Whenever I take damage from my opponent, I can banish it so my opponent will take the same amount I did. You lose Sergey!"

"Nice!" Crow cheers. The green ten-sided die with eye markings appears in front of Sergey and in a flash explodes. The three gain a feeling of satisfaction until the smoke clears and Sergey's D-Wheel is still running.

Sergey: 1800 life points. Hand: 3.

"How is he still dueling?" Yugo asks.

"Whenever I'm about to be dealt damage, I can pay 400 life points to reveal Thorn Prisoner Blas from my hand to reduce the damage to 0 and then I can special summon it." Sergey summons a tortured humanoid figure on top of a Spanish donkey and wrapped up in thorns like the rest of his monsters.

Thorn Prisoner Blas. Level: 1. Dark. Fiend/Tuner/Effect. Attack: 0. Defense: 0.

"Now I tune Blas with Zuma. Let your mangled body be an offering to the thorns and serve as an example to all who witness! Synchro summon! Level 3! Thorn Observer Femi!

Thorn Observer Femi. Level: 3. Dark. Fiend/Synchro/Effect. Attack: 0. Defense: 0.

Like all of Sergey's other monsters, this one is a tortured humanoid wrapped in thorns only it's one trapped in an iron maiden that's sealed up by the thorns. When it appears more Thorn Counters bind everyone's monsters. Plus each player not only will take 400 damage during their end phase for each Thorn Counter on their field and monsters with Thorn Counters can't attack, but they can't be as tributes or materials for a synchro summon. Sergey sets a card and ends his turn. Since Thorn Observer Femi has a Thorn Counter on it thanks to its effect, Sergey loses life points.

Sergey: 1400 life points. Hand: 1.

"That's it. There's no way I'm losing to this guy and getting any of you guys in danger. I draw!" Yugo declares and smiles when he sees that he drew a pendulum card. "Yes! With Scale 3, Speedroid Passinglider, and Scale 7, Speedroid Powerroulette, I set the pendulum scales!"

On one side of Yugo is a large blue and white plane and on the opposite side a roulette wheel of white and black markings with an arrow in the center pointing at one.

Yugo's scales: 3-7.

"With this I can simultaneously summon monsters with levels 4 to 6. Pendulum summon! Return to the field Speedroid Carddragonfly! Since I pendulum summoned a Speedroid monster, I activate Speedroid Powerroulette's pendulum effect. I pick a monster I control, in this case Speedroid Carddragonfly and now he can't be targeted by card effects my opponent controls this turn. Plus, Speedroid Carddragonfly doesn't have a Thorn Counter on it so it's free to attack your monster and reduce your life points to 0 so I'll–."

"I activate Thorn Shackles!" Sergey interrupts as he activates his set trap card. Soon every monster gets more Thorn Counters on them including Speedroid Carddragonfly. Since this effect doesn't target a specific monster due to affecting all of them, Speedroid Powerroulette can't protect Yugo's monster.

"Yes! Continue to suffer in this beautiful duel! You can't attack or synchro summon. All you can do end your turn and the moment you do, you'll be crushed!" Sergey continues to laugh like a mad man at Yugo's inevitable loss.

"The turn player takes 400 damage for each Thorn Counter on their field. Clear Wing Synchro Dragon has three and Speedroid Carddragonly has one. Yugo will take 1600 damage when he ends his turn!" Crow realizes in complete shock.

This revelation frightens Yugo and Rin since the last time Yugo lost life points, Sergey tried to crash into him. Yugo starts shaking and can't think straight. Sergey will break him, possibly smash up his D-Wheel, and injure Rin since she'll get caught up in all this. He then snaps out of it when he hears Clear Wing roar.

"Huh? What is it Clear Wing? You know how to save us. Ok, hold on Rin!"

Yugo revs up his D-Wheel and goes as fast as possible with his dragon leading the way in front of him. Crow follows next to Yugo wondering what's he doing when suddenly, Clear Wing starts shining a bright white and Yugo's D-Wheel does the same. Soon the flash completely engulfs Yugo, Rin, Crow, and their D-Wheels and before they know it, they vanish.

Sergey's flabbergasted at what just happens and his duel disc terminates the duel since his opponents are now gone.

?.

Someplace else, the flash of light Clear Wing created shines and Yugo and Crow ride out of it. Suddenly being transported to another place startles all three especially as Yugo and Crow try to stop with Yugo crashing into a light pole that knocks it down without any damage to the D-Wheel.

"What just happened?" Yugo questions.

"That's what we like to know? What did you do Yugo and please don't say you don't know?" Rin asks.

"Hey I don't. I got scared that Sergey might hurt you and our D-Wheel when I lose then I heard Clear Wing say that she can save us and then this happened!"

"You know it's weird enough when you treat that card as if its alive but now you're telling me it can teleport."

"I guess. Hey! Clear Wing, why didn't you tell me you could do that? We could've given Security the slip several times before."

" _How did I fall for this goofball?"_ Rin thinks to herself.

"Hey you guys quit yelling." Crow gets their attention. "What just happened is weird enough, but I think the question we should be asking at the moment is where are we?"

They look around and see that they're in a park but the city structure lacks any of the elevated areas where the Tops live or the highway for Riding Duels. The build boards don't look familiar either and while it appears that they're in a city, it doesn't look as big as the City.

" _Clear Wing, where did you take us?"_ Yugo thinks to himself.

 **OC cards**

Smile Surprise. Normal Trap.

When this card leaves the field, each player draws until they have 5 cards in their hand.

Redirect. Action Magic.

Change the attack target of a monster to another appropriate target.

Speedroid Bright-Eyed Dice/Wind/Level: 2/Machine/Tuner/Effect/Attack: 500/Defense: 500.

When you take damage from your opponent, you can banish this card from your graveyard to deal the same amount of damage to them.

Psychological Torture. Normal Trap.

Activate if every player controls a monster summoned from the extra deck. Each player chooses an effect: * The monster special summoned from extra deck the player controls with the highest attack has its effects negated and its attack reduced to 0. * The player takes damage equal to the attack of the monster special summoned from the extra deck with the highest attack.

Thorn Prisoner Blas/Dark/Level: 1/Fiend/Tuner/Effect/Attack: 0/Defense: 0.

Whenever you are about to be dealt damage by your opponent, you can pay 400 life points to reveal this: reduce the damage to 0 and then special summon this card.

Thorn Observer Femi/Dark/Level: 3/Fiend/Synchro/Effect/Attack: 0/Defense: 0.

1 Thorn Prisoner tuner + 1 non-tuner monster.

When this card is synchro summoned, all monsters get a Thorn Counter placed on them. Monsters with Thorn Counters can't attack and can't be used as a tribute or materials for a synchro summon. During the end phase, the turn player takes 400 damage for each Thorn Counter on their side of the field. If this card is destroyed: you can banish a Thorn Prisoner tuner monster from your graveyard to special summon this card in attack position.

Speedroid Powerroulette/Wind/Level: 1/Machine/Pendulum/Effect/Attack: 200/Defense: 300/Scale: 7.

Pendulum: When you pendulum summon a Speedroid monster, you can pick a monster you control: It can't be targeted by other card effects from your opponent this turn.

Monster: If this card is used as material for the synchro summoning of a Wind synchro monster, it can't be targeted by your opponent's card effects.

Thorn Shackles. Normal Trap.

Put a Thorn Counter on every monster on the field. During the end phase, the turn player takes 400 damage for each Thorn Counter on their side of the field. During your turn, you can pay 400 life points to set this card from your graveyard to your field but it's banished when it leaves the field.

 **Notes: No Yuri, Serena, or Academy in this one though I believe the next chapter will make up for it.**

 **It was never explained in the show why Clear Wing Synchro Dragon could make Yugo travel through dimensions though I like to think that it may have something to do with Yugo's emotional state. He wanted to find Rin in the anime and here he didn't want Sergey to literally crush him, Rin, and Crow. Speaking of, the reason Rin didn't join the duel like Yuzu was because Yuzu wasn't in any mortal danger or have to help keep the You Show kids safe like in the anime. Where as here Rin was riding on the back of a fast moving motorcycle and I imagine performing a duel there while a crazy guy tries to cause a wreck would not go well.**


	6. Ancient Gears vs Predaplants

After Yuri's duel with Edo, Yuri sits on a bench on Academy grounds. It could probably be considered his usual spot since it is the same one he was sitting at when he saw Asuka on her first day and when Serena first challenged him to a duel. Yuri sat at the bench mentally rewinding and watching the moment when he lost his cool after Edo defeated him. Where did that feeling come from?

He kept thinking to himself that nothing he said back there was a lie. No matter how much people fear his skills, he refuses to hold back or go easy just so people would accept him. Yuri's smart enough to know that a lie like that could turn against him in the future. Then there was how he called the people of Academy cowards because of his strength. Did Yuri really think so lowly of the people at this place?

"Starving Venom, what's going on with me lately?" Yuri asks his signature card.

"Yuri, there you are. We came to see how you are feeling?" Serena gets his attention. Yuri can't help but look at how Serena, Asuka, Sora, and Dennis all look like a mess. Their clothes appear ruffled up, their hair is unkempt, they seem a little sweaty and out of breath, and Sora looks like he has a boot mark on his face.

"Well, I'm feeling very confused that my friends look like how they do now." Yuri stares at them wondering just what happened.

"It's kind of a funny story. You see we decided to watch your duel with Edo from the vents and got stuck." Dennis explains.

"And the moment we got unstuck, the heat kicked on and we started sweating." Asuka adds.

"Then what's the explanation for Sora's face?" Yuri points at the short boy with the boot print on his face.

"Serena kicked me in the face while were getting out." Sora answers while glaring at the blue-haired girl.

"Only because I thought you were looking up my skirt." Serena responses.

"Hey just because I wound up behind you doesn't mean I was looking at anything. Also, you're clearly wearing shorts under your skirt so what could I see?"

"Will you two drop it? Any ways, we saw everything and want to know how you're doing?" Asuka asks Yuri.

"Well I wasn't certain how I felt after the duel, but after seeing you four, I can safely say that I feel cheered up." Yuri starts laughing at how they look.

"At least we cheered him up, I guess." Dennis shrugs as Yuri starts giggling.

"Sorry, but I did need that laugh." Yuri settles down. "Besides they aren't confiscating any of my cards so I think I'll be fine for awhile. At least until something else big happens here."

A couple of weeks have passed since then and the school is now starting up practical duel examinations. For the next several days, students will duel other students in their same grade so the Academy can assess their skills and abilities. However, while that's about to happen, a couple of ships sail toward Academy.

"Personal entry. The ship captain says that we'll approach Academy today. Still not sure why this experiment has be done there. Dr. Zweinstein hasn't given any info other than the energy needed for his experiment was detected there. Hopefully, what I invested in can be completed by whatever's at Academy." A man by the name of Amon Garam records in a personal journal entry.

"During the boat ride to Academy, nothing of note happened on this trip. The weather has been clear and the crew has been fine. Dr. Zweinstein is someone I can't really complain about mainly because all he's done on the trip is stay in his room to look over his notes and theories. He only comes out to walk about the ship to relax. However, since Zweinstein's genius is valued by many that means the military have assigned others to protect him and they're always around him in someway. I've found two of interest. One is a tall man covered in scars named Barrett. Apparently, he's a veteran and seems to have some kind of warrior mentality so he's pretty serious about his job. The other is a man named Austin O'Brien. No information about the guy other than he works directly under Barrett and only ever leaves his room when it's his turn to watch the doctor. I better keep an eye on them, but hopefully everything will run smoothly."

As Amon said, Austin is in his room sitting and waiting when a knock comes from his door. It opens to reveal Barrett.

"Commander Barrett, sir." Austin says as he gets up.

"I came to inform you that we'll be reaching Academy within the hour, O'Brien. Be sure to be ready." Barrett says.

"Understood sir. Is there anything else?"

"Yes. We'll be working on the grounds of a school so even though no one but those authorized should be around Dr. Zweinstein, try not to be too hard on any of the students or staff there."

"Don't worry I won't. Though I refuse to think no one is a potential threat to something, sir."

"Relax soldier, I doubt there's any student there who'll be a threat." Barrett scoffs before leaving.

On Academy's island, Asuka hangs out by one of the balconies with her brother, Fubuki.

"It's been awhile since we spent time together alone sis?" Fubuki states.

"True, I guess I've been spending a lot of time with Serena and Yuri. Though since Sora and Dennis joined our group, the two seem quite happy. Most likely cause they're getting friends other than me." Asuka says.

"You aren't getting jealous that you're not their favorite person anymore are you?" Fubuki teases.

"Please. After four years, I doubt they'll stop seeing me as some surrogate older sister even if they deny it. I'm just glad that they can make friends besides me."

"Yeah that is a good thing. I mean you'll graduate before them so they'll need to know some more people."

During their talk Asuka notices the ships approaching. "What are those ships coming nearby?"

"Hm. Oh I can't believe it slipped my mind. Chancellor Samejima told me about this but it seems some big name scientist is coming to do some experiment here."

"Experiment? What are they going to study our dueling skills?"

"Don't know? I'm sure we'll know when they dock and the chancellor informs the students about it. Anyways good luck on your practical exams." Fubuki says as he goes off to prepare for his own duties.

"The ones who need luck are whoever end up dueling Yuri and Serena." Asuka smirks.

As Fubuki said all the students became curious by the ships docking on the island and unloading some unusual equipment. Chancellor Samejima gathers all the students in the assembly hall to inform them of the situation. The world-renowned physicist Dr. Albert Zweinstein will be conducting an experiment at Academy. As such, parts of the school will be cut off from everyone else in order for him and his team to set up their equipment so they can do their experiments. What it is has been kept secret to Academy, but everyone knows what's going on.

"So what do you think about this scientist being here?" Serena asks Yuri while they eat their lunch.

"Honestly, I don't care." Yuri bluntly says.

"Seriously?" Serena gives him a questioning look.

"Well when you think about it unless something goes wrong or anything like that, I doubt this will effect us. I mean they're using parts of the castle that no one even goes to regularly. Plus it's clear the people working on this project don't want to bother us."

"Are you even capable of showing interest in anything?"

"Hey, I'm fully capable of being interested in things. It's just that I don't see why I should care about something doesn't want to be involved with me or the people I care about." Yuri gets defensive. "Why, are you interested in what that scientist is studying?"

"Actually I'm more interested in the soldiers that came along." Serena admits. This surprises Yuri as he wonders why she would be interested in them.

"Uh, care to elaborate, Serena?"

"They probably have some stories about something seemingly impossible or know some skills not many can do. You know, accomplishments that very few can say they do like that huge guy with the eye patch. Wonder what his story is?" Serena points to Barrett while studying the other military personal.

"Maybe he tripped and fell on a doorknob."

"It must be fun looking down from that throne of natural skills and smugness of yours?"

"Sorry though I shouldn't be surprised that you were thinking about skills and accomplishments. Speaking of Serena, you better start working on your deck since those practical exams for us are scheduled in a couple of days." Yuri reminds her as he finishes eating.

"Like I'll forget."

Over the next few days, Zweinstein has set up his lab for the research to look for the energy that was detected around that'll be important for the experiment. Meanwhile, Academy goes through the students for their practical exams. Eventually, it gets to Yuri and Serena's grade with them along with Dennis and Sora being the stand outs. Though, during the duels, Zweinstein notices something.

"So doctor what did you call me down here for?" Amon asks as he enters the main lab.

"Oh good Mr. Garam. I believe I've found that mysterious energy I've been looking for." Zweinstein says.

"Wait really? Looks like this wasn't a waste of a trip after all though I don't suppose you know why it's at a duel school?" Amon asks.

"That's because it's duel energy."

"Duel energy?"

"It's a strange phenomenon but thanks to solid vision, duelists tend to release a special energy whenever they summon a monster. Fusion and ritual from what I've found release their own unique and strong energy signatures. However, there seems to be one unique one that the scanners don't fully recognize and almost every time it appears that one energy signature I need shows up on the instruments."

"So are you saying the duels the students perform here are making the energy?"

"Actually its more likely one or two students." Zweinstein corrects him. "With the way it appears, I'd say it only appears long enough for one regular duel and with the time gaps, it looks like different duels amongst the day with that student."

"So for things to progress we have to find one student in this massive school. Great." Amon pinches the bridge of his nose out of annoyance. "We're going to be searching a school this big for one student unless? You said fusion and ritual summoning give off it's own unique energy correct?"

"Uh yes I did say that."

"Well that should make things easier. I'll just find out if any students use something other than that and bring them here for closer study."

The good news for Amon is that there was only one student in the entire school who used a very unique summoning method and was easy to find. After Yuri finished dueling the last person he needed to go against for the day, Austin approaches Yuri telling him about how the doctor wants to see him personally. Yuri's curiosity does get to him so he agrees so he can probably learn what's been going on the past few days and see why he's involved.

Sora overhears this and tells Dennis and Serena so they can try to sneak into where Yuri's being taken to so they can learn why they want to see him specifically. Like with the vents, Sora and Dennis know of a few hidden spots to the basement rooms.

"So is this what you two do all day? Find secret passages across all of Academy?" Serena asks.

"You'd be surprised what you can find when you ignore your own responsibilities. Besides at least the room we're heading to now have some interesting instead of being big dusty storage space." Dennis says.

"A part of me should berate you guys for not putting this much energy in increasing your rank, but I want to know why Yuri is being treated so special this time." Serena says.

Before they go through, Asuka shows up. "What are you three up to now?"

"Well you see Yuri got picked up by one of those military guys because apparently that Dr. Zweinstein guy wants to meet him, and we're going to learn why." Sora nervously confesses to the older blue student.

"You don't want us to go spy on him or anything like that do you?" Serena asks.

"No I don't. Unless you bring me along." Asuka smirks. All three give her a confused look.

"What? Like I said when we first met Serena, you and Yuri are very interesting and ever since then, you guys are still the most interesting thing here at this school. So I'm coming along." Asuka explains.

"Great and hopefully we won't get stuck again." Serena says while bringing up what happened in the vent.

In Academy's lower level, Yuri is in front of Amon with Dr. Zweinstein and Barrett.

"Mr. Yuri. I'm Amon Garam heir to the Garam family. It's a pleasure to meet you." Amon gives a friendly greeting.

"Hello, Mr. Garam." Yuri shakes his hand while giving him a skeptical look. "So why did you bring me here. Wait, let me guess, it has something to do with pendulum summoning right?"

"Then answer could be yes or no. We won't really know until we do some tests." Dr. Zweinstein states.

"You see Yuri, Dr. Zweinstein is the most brilliant mind of our time to the point that his genius ended a war a few years back. One Commander Barrett was a part of." Amon explains before gesturing to Barrett.

"This isn't going to end with me being part of some weapons program or something is it?" Yuri remarks.

"No I just wanted to give an example of how the good doctor's genius has helped people. However, what he's currently working on is something that can be so beneficial to the world that I want to help him succeed at it no matter the cost."

"Oh, and what is that?"

"Interdimensional travel." Dr. Zweinstein speaks up. Yuri raises an eyebrow at what he just said until Zweinstein elaborates.

"You see during my studies in physics, I've came across evidence multiple times that suggests our world is not the only one. That there's a good possibility that there can very well be multiple different dimensions out there. Worlds different from ours."

"Finding a way to these worlds could potentially lead to a lot of scientific finds since there's a good chance the different dimensions have made discoveries we haven't yet and therefore can replicate." Amon adds.

"I see, but what does that have to do with me?" Yuri asks.

"Well possibly everything I think. You see some months prior, I found that Academy was radiating a special energy signature and it's the one needed for my research. When I started up shop, I found that it would usually appear with a strange unidentified duel energy. Since you use a never before seen summoning mechanic, it's possible your pendulum summoning is the key to unlocking the secrets of the other dimensions." Zweinstein further adds.

Yuri is taken aback by this and happily accepts. They proceed and the testing is actually very simple. He goes into one room with a machine that resembles half of a long thick oval. It has some kind of rectangular scanning device near the top and other function parts in front of it including what looks like a duel disc. It's a dueling robot designed for training. Yuri will duel it while trying to perform pendulum summoning throughout the duel while Dr. Zweinstein examines the duel energy he emits. However, before the duel can commence Austin and a couple other soldiers come in carrying Serena, Sora, Dennis, and Asuka.

"Guys! What are you doing here?" Yuri asks surprised to see his friends.

"Well Sora told us about you being picked to come down here-." Serena explains until Yuri interrupts her.

"Never mind. I just figured out you four snuck in here because everything about me is entertainment to you."

"You don't have to look at it that way. Besides we are happy you're making a big contribution like this." Asuka says.

"Austin get them out of here so they don't cause any trouble." Barrett orders.

"Yes, sir." Austin complies.

"Hang on. I would like them to stay. I prefer it if my friends are around to watch my duels plus they're just going to sneak back down here anyways." Yuri requests.

"Sorry but I can't have anyone interfering with this experiment." Amon objects.

"Oh let the kids stay. Besides we're just analyzing a duel that's all so have someone watch them." Zweinstein accepts with an oblivious smile.

"Fine." Amon accepts before ordering Austin to keep an eye on the four. With that ready, the robot activates it's built in duel disc so it and Yuri can start.

Yuri: 4000 life points. Hand: 5.

Duel Robot: 4000 life points. Hand: 5.

"Alright with Scale 2, Predaplant Drosera Mammoth, and Scale 7, Predaplant Ultricularia Piranha, I set the pendulum scale. Now I can summon monsters of level 3 to 6. Pendulum summon! Appear now, Predaplant Spinodionaea and Predaplant Sun Pitcher Turtle!"

Yuri makes his play with what looks like a wooly mammoth made up of brown and red plant-like tendrils for the long fur and trunk over a 2 and on the opposite side is a school of bright green fanged fish over a 7. Between them is the portal that forms from the swinging pendulum that brings out his two Predaplant monsters with Spinodionaea in attack mode and Sun Pitcher Turtle in defense.

Yuri's scale: 2-7.

Predaplant Spinodionaea. Level: 4. Dark. Plant/Effect. Attack: 1800. Defense: 0.

Predaplant Sun Pitcher Turtle. Level: 3. Dark. Plant/Pendulum/Effect. Attack: 600. Defense: 1900. Scale: 5.

"Predaplant Sun Pitcher Turtle's effect activates. Since it was special summoned, I can add a Predaplant monster from my deck to my hand but I can't summon it this turn. I also set a card and end my turn. Now let me see how a machine duels."

Dr. Zweinstein looks over the monitors to see if anything occurs.

"Well? Is pendulum summoning the energy you've been looking for doctor?" Amon asks.

"Fascinating. This pendulum summoning seems truly incredible. However, I don't see any trace of what made me want to come here yet." Dr. Zweinstein answers.

"Keep the duel going then until we see something."

Back in the other room, the robot starts its turn. "Draw. Activating Future Fusion. This card will send the materials listed on Ultimate Ancient Gear Golem to the graveyard from the deck and two turns later, it'll be fusion summoned. Summoning Ancient Gear Hunting Hound."

Ancient Gear Hunting Hound. Level: 3. Earth. Machine/Effect. Attack: 1000. Defense: 1000.

"When Ancient Gear Hunting Hound is normal summoned, the opponent takes 600 points of damage." When the robot says this, the robotic dog opens a canon on its back that fires at Yuri.

Yuri: 3400 life points. Hand: 1.

"Next, Ancient Gear Workshop is played to add the second Ancient Gear Hunting Hound sent to the graveyard due to Future Fusion to the hand. Activating Ancient Gear Repair to special summon the third from the graveyard sent by Future Fusion."

"Hold it right there." Yuri interrupts as another copy of the robot dog appears. "I know you're going to use those hounds to perform a fusion summoning, but it won't happen this turn because I activate Predaprison. Now as long as I control a Predaplant or Dark fusion monster, you can only special summon monsters once during each of our turns."

"Ancient Gear Hunting Hound does have an effect that lets one fusion summon an Ancient Gear fusion monster, but since the robot just used Ancient Gear Repair, Predaprison won't let the robot perform that effect this turn now." Asuka analyzes.

"Wonder how the robot will react to this set back?" Sora asks.

"Activating Solidarity. All monsters in the graveyard are machine-types so all machine-type monsters will gain 800 attack points." The robot responds.

"It'll react like an emotionless robot. Of course." Serena snidely comments.

"Yeah this may not be as engaging to watch since the opponent literally has no heart." Dennis adds with disappointment.

Ancient Gear Hunting Hound (x2). Attack: 1800.

"Ancient Gear Hunting Hound attacks Predaplant Spinodionaea." The robot declares.

"I activate Ultricularia Piranha's pendulum effect. Once per turn at the start of a battle involving a Predaplant I control, if the opponent's monster's level is lower than the Predaplant it's battling, it's destroyed." Yuri says. However, an error sign appears on his duel disc.

"When Ancient Gear Hunting Hound attacks, the opponent can't activate magic or trap cards." The robot informs Yuri as his pendulum card can't activate and both monsters are destroyed. Spiondionaea's effect activates to let Yuri special summon from his deck Predaplant Darlingtonia Cobra in defense mode, which triggers its effect to let Yuri add Polymerization to his hand.

Predaplant Darlingtonia Cobra. Level: 3. Dark. Plant/Effect. Attack: 1000. Defense: 1500.

"Magic and traps can't activate when they attack, but any other time is fine. Since a Predaplant was destroyed by my opponent's monster, Predaplant Drosera Mammoth's pendulum inflicts 500 damage to you." Yuri responds with his other pendulum card using its effect.

Robot: 3500 life points. Hand: 2.

The robot attacks Darlingtonia Cobra with its second Hunting Hound and destroys it and takes another 500 damage. It sets a card and ends the turn.

Robot: 3000 life points. Hand: 1.

Yuri draws. "Alright I play Polymerization so I can fuse Predaplant Sun Pitcher Turtle with the Predaplant Cordyceps in my hand. Two beautiful flowers with an insect alluring fragrance! Bring forth a new flower that hungers! Fusion summon! Level 7! Predaplant Chimerafflesia!"

Predaplant Chimerafflesia. Level: 7. Dark. Plant/Fusion/Effect. Attack: 2500. Defense: 2000.

"I now activate my Chimerafflesia's effect to banish your Hunting Hound since its level is lower than it."

"Trap activate. Recall. The monster's effect is negated then the monster is destroyed. You now get to draw a card." The robot counters getting rid of Yuri's monster and forcing Yuri to draw a card. However, since Yuri doesn't control a Predaplant or a Dark fusion monster, his Predaprison is instantly destroyed.

"Fine then I'll pendulum summon my Predaplant Sun Pitcher Turtle back to the field in defense mode then I can add a Predaplant from my deck to my hand thanks to it. I end my turn." Yuri starts showing some anger over what happened to his monster.

"Draw. Normal summoning Ancient Gear Hunting Hound and activating its effect to deal 600 damage."

Yuri: 2800 life points. Hand: 2.

"Activating Gear Grinding. Drawing 2 cards since this unit controls an Ancient Gear monster but will send the top four cards from the deck to the graveyard. Activating Fusion Tag to make one of the Ancient Gear Hunting Hounds name Double Ancient Gear Hunting Hound. Activating Ancient Gear Hunting Hound's effect to use both monsters to fusion summon Triple Ancient Gear Hunting Hound."

Triple Ancient Gear Hunting Hound. Level: 7. Earth. Machine/Fusion/Effect. Attack: 1800 (now 2600). Defense: 1000.

"What no summoning chant? Lame." Dennis states.

"Will you focus, Dennis? Who knows what this thing can do?" Serena chides the Performage user.

"Triple Ancient Gear Hunting Hound can attack up to three times each turn and no magic or trap cards can be activated when it attacks." The robot explains.

"What!" All five Academy students shout.

"Triple Ancient Gear Hunting Hound attack Predaplant Sun Pitcher Turtle." At its command the three headed dog mech attacks and its left-most head crushes Yuri's plant turtle with its bite.

"Drosera Mammoth's effect activates and you take 500 more damage!" Yuri reminds it.

Robot: 2500 life points. Hand: 1.

"Triple Ancient Gear Hunting Hound attacks directly."

"Perfect because now that means I can summon Predaplant Sarranceniant from my hand in defense mode. I can't activate magic or trap cards but I can still use monster effects and when my opponent declares a direct attack, I can summon this thing from my hand." Yuri smiles as he summons a small plant resembling an insect.

Predaplant Sarranceniant. Level: 1. Dark. Plant/Effect. Attack: 100. Defense: 600.

The robot has the attack continue as the middle head destroys Yuri's monster. However, Yuri hoped that would happen as he can activate Sarranceniant's second effect. After it battles an opponent's monster that monster gets destroyed, but the robot banishes from its graveyard the trap card Fusion Stability to negate the destruction. While he doesn't get rid of the robot's Hunting Hound, he instead activates Drosera's pendulum effect again and Sarranceniant's third effect to add a Predap card from his deck to his hand since it was destroyed in battle.

Robot: 2000 life points. Hand: 1.

The robot declares the third attack with Triple Hunting Hound and Yuri takes a direct strike from the right-most head.

Yuri: 200 life points. Hand: 2.

"Setting one card face down. Turn end."

"That robot knocked Yuri down to 200 life points." Sora stares at disbelief.

"That's not the worst part. Next turn, Future Fusion will finally summon Ultimate Ancient Gear Giant and it can end things with one attack." Asuka notes.

"Come on Yuri win." Serena says to herself.

"Alright, you obsolete machine, it's my turn and I draw. First, since Chimerafflesia was sent to the graveyard last turn, I can add another copy of Polymerization from my deck to my hand. Now for the third time, I pendulum summon and I bring out Predaplant Sun Pitcher Turtle and Predaplant Butterwort Gorgon!" Yuri summons.

Predaplant Butterwort Gorgon. Level: 6. Dark. Plant/Pendulum/Effect. Attack: 1200. Defense: 2400. Scale: 8.

"I activate Sun Pitcher Turtle's effect to add a Predaplant to my hand and Butterwort Gorgon's effect lets it put a Predator Counter on all your monsters since it was pendulum summoned. Also, any monster with a Predator Counter on it automatically becomes level 1."

Triple Ancient Gear Hunting Hound. Level: 1. Predator Counter.

"Of course, it was going to get one anyways because of what's coming next because I play Polymerization to fuse both of my Predaplants together. Two beautiful flowers with an insect alluring fragrance! Become one flower that attracts all to their doom! Fusion summon! Level 6! Predaplant Arum Siren!"

Predaplant Arum Siren. Level: 6. Dark. Plant/Fusion/Effect. Attack: 2200. Defense: 2400.

"When Predaplant Arum Siren is special summoned, all monsters you control gain a Predator Counter and become level 1 though that already happened. However, whenever it battles a monster with a level lower than it then that monster will have it's attack cut in half."

"Trap activate. Fiendish Chain." The robot responds. "Predaplant Arum Siren can't attack or activate its effects."

Chains with a dark aura bind the plant monster up. After seeing this, Amon starts assuming Yuri didn't have what Zweinstein was looking for as the doctor never once pointed it out appearing during the duel. Though he did find the pendulum cards interesting. Everyone else thinks Yuri will lose but Serena notices that he's laughing.

"You know I kind of wish I was dueling a real person instead of a machine that makes the most predictable plays ever. Of course, you'd use your trap card on a threat like Arum Siren since it was immediately out though it wasn't how I was going to get rid of your monster and win. After all, I still have a normal summon this turn and I bring out Predaplant Chlamydosundew!"

Predaplant Chlamydosundew. Level: 2. Dark. Plant/Effect. Attack: 600. Defense: 200.

"Predaplant Chlamydosundew let's me perform a fusion summon with monsters in my hand, on my field, or any monster with a Predator Counter on it. Plus all monsters with Predator Counters get treated as Dark monsters when used as a fusion material thanks to its effect so I'll fuse it with the now dark Triple Ancient Gear Hunting Hound. Beautiful flower with an insect alluring fragrance! Machine of old technology! Now become one and give birth to a new power! Fusion summon! Level 8! Starving Venom Fusion Dragon!"

Starving Venom Fusion Dragon. Level: 8. Dark. Dragon/Fusion/Effect. Attack: 2800. Defense: 2000.

"My word." Dr. Zweinstein becomes wide-eyed.

"What is it, doctor?" Amon asks.

"The energy I've been looking for to help with interdimensional travel is coming from that dragon."

Back over at the duel, Starving Venom begins charging up for its attack so Yuri can win.

"Now since you have no monsters left on your field, I'll battle and have Starving Venom Fusion Dragon attack directly. Starving Venom, Full Bloom-." Before Yuri can finish his command, he hears Starving Venom roar and get distracted. "Huh, what is Starving Venom?"

Starving Venom let's out another roar that only Yuri understands.

"What do you mean you want to see the others and become one again?"

Yuri just looks at his signature monster in confusion. He becomes so engrossed wondering what the meaning behind what Starving Venom is saying that he doesn't notice that all the scientific equipment around everyone starts going crazy and Starving Venom begins glowing. Everyone but Yuri all begin wondering just what's going on until Zweinstein explains that the Starving Venom Fusion Dragon solid vision hologram is somehow using his equipment to power up the interdimensional energy. The result will be an interdimensional portal that's currently getting bigger and Yuri's just standing in front of where it'll happen.

"O'Brien get that kid out of there! Everyone get a good distance away from that thing!" Barrett shouts orders.

Austin rushes into the dueling room to get Yuri, unknowingly being followed behind by Serena, Dennis, Sora, and Asuka who instinctively also go in to help. When Austin grabs Yuri, the light from Starving Venom shines so bright it engulfs them and then it hits Serena and the other three Academy students. Barrett grabs Zweinstein and Amon and gets them a good distance away from the light so it doesn't hit them.

When the light from Starving Venom dies down Yuri, Serena, Asuka, Austin, Dennis, and Sora have disappeared.

?

At a group of warehouses on the docks, the same flash of light shines and Yuri and Austin find themselves at this spot.

"Ugh. What on earth happened?" Yuri asks before looking at his duel disc and seeing his Starving Venom Fusion Dragon card. "Starving Venom, what was going on back there?"

"Do you regularly talk to your cards or is that one special in some way." Austin asks.

"You're that military guy. Sorry, I don't remember getting your name but I assuming you at least know something, right?"

"I have a general idea. That dragon of yours is the thing Dr. Zweinstein was looking for so he could discover how to cross dimensions and somehow that's what's happened to us." Austin explains then he starts thinking to himself. _"Come to think of it, I accidently let those kids follow up too behind me when I tried to grab Yuri. Could they've been transported here too?"_

"Any case, my name is Austin O'Brien and until the doctor can figure out how to get us back, assuming we are in another dimension, I'm going to keep watch over you so you don't end up in any danger." Austin tells Yuri.

Elsewhere, Serena, Asuka, Dennis, and Sora have also been brought to the same dimension but they materialize in an alley and wonder what happened.

"Where are we and where's Yuri?" Serena asks.

"He might have gotten separated from us. I'll try calling him to see if we can't all meet up." Asuka suggests.

"So are we really in another dimension like those guys said?" Sora ponders.

"Well it doesn't look all that different from where we're from. You don't think it's one of those worlds filled with evil versions of ourselves do you?" Dennis brings up.

"I have a very hard time seeing either of two being evil given your behaviors." Serena says.

"Hey we could be evil if we wanted. We just choose not to be." Sora replies.

"That's usually how good and evil tend to work." Serena points out.

"We got a problem. I can't call Yuri. In fact, I can't seem to get in touch with anyone." Asuka informs the group.

"Is your duel disc broken or something?" Serena asks.

"No, it's behaving more like I can't get a connection."

"We're in another dimension. Maybe that has something to do with it." Sora says.

"There's a possibility that's the case. If so we're going to have to look for Yuri on foot so we should stick together, while learning anything we can about where we are." Asuka takes charge and they all agree.

As they leave the alley, the four look around at their surroundings. The place seemed like a regular city and its near water. Though unlike the mainland from their dimension, the water this city's near is a beach and there are no waterways and canals. They also quickly notice the numerous billboards promoting at least a dozen different duel schools so it looks like wherever they are, there's no version of Academy around. As they look around, their attention is drawn to a commercial playing on a TV set in an electronics store. It's one advertising the You Show Duel School and what gets their attention is the sight of people riding around on the solid vision of their duel monsters and calling it Action Duels. The commercial then grabs their full attention when a young teenage boy with red and green hair appears on the screen riding around on a pink hippo.

"YURI!"

 **OC Cards**

Predaplant Drosera Mammoth/Dark/Level: 4/Plant/Pendulum/Effect/Attack: 1900/Defense: 1000/Scale: 2

Pendulum: When a Predaplant monster you control is destroyed by your opponent's monster effect or by battle: inflict 500 damage to your opponent.

Monster: Once per turn, you can inflict 300 damage for each Predator Counter on the field. Once per turn, you can perform a fusion summon using monsters you control and/or in your hand as materials. You can only use this effect if you control this pendulum summoned monster.

Predaplant Ultricularia Piranha/Dark/Level: 2/Plant/Pendulum/Effect/Attack: 800/Defense: 800/Scale: 7)

Pendulum: Once per battle phase, when a Predaplant monster you control battles an opponent's monster with a level less than or equal to it, you can destroy the opponent's monster before the damage step.

Monster: Once per turn, you can place a Predator Counter on a monster. At the start of the damage step, if this card battles a monster with a level less than or equal to this card: destroy the monster.

Predaprison. Continuous Trap.

Your opponent can only special summon monster(s) once during either player's turn. If you don't control a Predaplant or Dark fusion monster: destroy this card. You can banish this card from your graveyard to place a Predator Counter on each monster your opponent controls.

Ancient Gear Repair. Normal Magic.

Special summon one level 4 or lower Ancient Gear monster from your graveyard to your field.

Gear Grinding. Normal Magic.

If you control an Ancient Gear monster: draw 2 cards then send the top 4 cards from your deck to the graveyard.

Fusion Stability. Normal Trap.

Fusion monsters you control can't be destroyed by battle this turn. You can banish this card from your graveyard to negate the destruction of a fusion monster you control.

 **Note: This one turned out late due to multiple reasons both real life and the fact that I kept procrastinating on it. Hopefully the next chapter will be out shortly since that means we get to have some fun exploring the other dimensions. Though I will have to ask a couple a few people about some things since some people have offered their own ideas for the story and I need confrontation about some stuff before I use it.**

 **Austin was my favorite character in GX and I love his deck even if the meta screwed it over (Hey Konami, more Fire archetypes and support). So I'm happy I get to use him. My one concern is that I hope I can write Amon (or the AU Amon here) correctly because whenever I think of his personality all that comes to mind is the dub version from that one episode. You all know the one.**


	7. Exploring Around The Dimensions

Standard Dimension.

After going around and asking different people so they can get information, Serena's group meet back up to find out what they learned.

"So did you guys find out anything?" Sora asks Serena and Asuka.

"Well we learned that we're in a place called Maiami City and despite having dozens of duel schools none of them are Academy." Asuka says.

"Another strange thing about this place is that they don't use fusion summoning here." Serena says.

"Seriously?" Sora says in disbelief.

"Well not yet. From what Asuka and I learned apparently there's a company here called the Leo Corporation that plans on releasing some new cards that'll change the game forever and fusion is one of them." Serena explains.

"Speaking of, the Leo Corporation controls a place called the Leo Duel School or LDS for short. It seems to be the best duel school in the city, but the description of it doesn't match Academy at all." Asuka adds.

"What about you guys? What did you learn about that kid we saw on the TV who looked like Yuri?" Serena asks about their findings.

"Oh you two won't believe what we learned. Turns out they developed something called Real Solid Vision where they add mass to the solid vision and it makes it so that you can actually physically interact with duel monster holograms." Sora excitedly tells the girls.

"There's no way that's true." Asuka doubts.

"Oh it is. In fact, the current dueling champion, Yusho Sakaki, actually developed a new form of dueling called Action Duels with it. From what people have told us, it sounds like the greatest thing ever! I mean you can move around various environment that are completely solid and even ride around on your own monsters!" Dennis gleefully explains.

"Yeah and they even use these things called Action Cards that you can pick up and use to get a leg up. We're not making any of this stuff up. We have to try these Action Duels while we're here. In fact we even learned about great school that teaches entertaining Action Duels." Sora joins in. The two yellow rank students stop gushing when Serena punches both of them on the heads.

"You morons were supposed to be finding out why there's a boy who looks just like Yuri! Not sign up for a class!" Serena berates Dennis and Sora, who are nursing the injuries Serena caused.

"Actually we were getting to that part." Dennis states. "That guy I just mentioned, Yusho Sakaki, is the head of the school we were just talking about and that boy who looks like Yuri is his son, Yuya Sakaki."

"Wait, are you guys serious?" Serena's shocked to learn this.

"That's what everybody says, but that's not the strangest part. It turns out he can use pendulum summoning just like Yuri and he's the only person who has pendulum cards too." Sora includes. This information visibly shocks both Asuka and Serena.

"How can that be? Is this Yuya boy this dimension's version of Yuri or something like that?" Asuka speculates.

"That can't be it. Yuri is an orphan just like me. He doesn't have a father. Not to mention from what I saw of that commercial, that Yuya kid acts nothing like Yuri." Serena points out.

"Maybe it's one of those alternate universe things where your life changes if events go differently. Like say this being a world where Yuri gets adopted by this Yusho guy and lives a completely different life." Dennis brings up.

"Ok then explain how any of what you just say results in Academy not being around, no fusion summoning, and these Action Duels?" Serena asks.

"I don't know. I'm just throwing out ideas." Dennis says.

"Guys let's focus." Asuka gets everyone back on track. "The only thing left now is finding Yuri. However, it's pretty clear that since the son of a celebrity looks just like him, we'll probably reach a bunch of dead ends asking people where he is."

"Given that we can't call anyone either and we're only in this dimension because of a super genius scientist with backing from the military and a rich entrepreneur, it's obvious that we're already at a dead end even if we do find Yuri." Sora adds.

"We can't search blindly so our best and only bet is to go find this Yuya Sakaki." Asuka says.

"Why should we go to him?" Serena asks.

"Call it a hunch, but given that he has enough fame to appear on commercials to promote his father's school and other people in this city know who he is, it's possible Yuri will also find out about him someway and maybe go to where he is." Asuka concludes.

"We don't have much else to work with so we might as well at least meet this Yuya guy. Now all we need is to find the school." Serena says.

"Oh Sora and I already have the address. We got it immediately after we heard about Yusho and Action Duels." Dennis says. This receives him disapproving stares from Asuka and Serena. "Hey don't give me that look. We're stuck here so we might as well check things out until we find a way back."

Over at the Maiami City docks, Yuri and Austin walk around to figure out what to do. Yuri is fiddling with his duel disc trying to contact Serena or anyone but has no luck.

"I don't get it why can't I call anyone?" Yuri asks out loud.

"Number of reasons come to mind. The technology from our dimension is incompatible with what's in this dimension. Another is that your friends or anyone you know isn't even here." Austin says.

"You told me Serena and my friends were right behind you when Starving Venom started acting strangely. So they have to be here."

"I did say that. Though it's possible that they may have been sent to another dimension."

"What do you mean by that?"

"The doctor says there are multiple dimensions. They could be stuck someplace different."

Hearing Austin says fills Yuri with grief as he thinks about that scenario. _"Snuck in another dimension. How many dimensions are there and is there no way of telling which one they're in. Would that mean where they are is completely unknown to anyone. If that's true does that mean I won't see my friends again."_

"Relax Yuri. Sorry, I shouldn't have said that because I'm at least positive we'll be able to find them." Austin comforts Yuri when he sees how shaken up he gotten. Yuri immediately shakes the feeling off.

"Don't worry I'm fine now. My mind just exaggerated a possibility. Of course I'll see them again, I mean Serena probably won't stop looking for me until she evens out our record." Yuri shrugs off his moment of fear before then asking where they proceed from here.

"After thinking about it, I would suggest staying put until Barrett sends help. However, since Dr. Zweinstein needed your dragon to cause this accident, it'll obviously be a while before that happens. So right now we're in survival mode. We get shelter, food, and information about our surroundings."

"Can you really call it survival if our shelter and food wind up being a motel and fast food." Yuri remarks dryly.

As they proceed to head off, someone calls out to them.

"Hey, what are you doing here?" shouts the person who turns out to be Sawatari.

"Can we help you?" Yuri asks.

"So Yuya Sakaki, it seems you found my super secret hangout and want to face me in another duel correct?" Sawatari guesses. Yuri can only respond by blankly blinking.

"I think you have the wrong guy, kid. We're not from here and we're looking for a temporary place to stay." Austin says as he tries to keep the situation civil.

"Don't act dumb. That's obviously Yuya Sakaki and I, the New Sawatari, will make him pay for not letting me use those pendulum cards." Sawatari says.

"Wait, what was that about pendulum cards?" Yuri becomes surprised.

"Sigh. If it's a duel then I'll be your opponent." Austin offers.

"Oh so you've become so scared of me you'll have your friend fight me instead, Yuya. Very well, at least this way he can't interfere like your girlfriend did in our last duel." Sawatari says as he puts on and activates his duel disc. Yuri kept ignoring everything Sawatari said since it technically wasn't really directed at him, but he does note how different his duel disc looks compared to the ones he and everyone else in the fusion dimension uses. Unlike the commonly used comma shaped duel disc with a straight blade, Sawatari's duel disc is rectangular with the top and bottom opening up and it forms an angular blade.

"You know I can handle this fool easily." Yuri states to Austin.

"I don't doubt your skills kid considering how you handled the duel robot, but for all we know the people here can do stuff we can't. I'll take this duel so we can learn what to expect here." Austin states then activates his duel disc.

"Duel!"

Austin: 4000 life points. Hand: 5.

Sawatari: 4000 life points. Hand: 5.

"I'll start things off first by setting a card face down and summoning Volcanic Slicer." Austin begins.

Volcanic Slicer. Level: 4. Fire. Pyro/Effect. Attack: 1800. Defense: 1200.

"I use Volcanic Slicer's effect to inflict 500 damage to you and with that I end my turn." Volcanic Slicer shoots a fireball from its mouth that strikes Sawatari.

Sawatari: 3500 life points. Hand: 5.

" _Serena talked about how these soldiers must have some great skills. She obviously meant physical skills because this way of dueling seems rather basic."_ Yuri thinks to himself.

"Thinking of winning by making the first hit. Sorry, but against me that won't work. Draw. First, I discard a card so I can special summon Berlineth the Firestorm Vassal." Sawatari begins his turn.

Berlineth the Firestorm Vassal. Level: 3. Fire. Pyro/Effect. Attack: 800. Defense: 1000.

"I then tribute it to summon Zaborg the Thunder Monarch."

Zaborg the Thunder Monarch. Level: 5. Light. Thunder/Effect. Attack: 2400. Defense: 1000.

When Zaborg gets summoned Sawatari does some fancy hand gestures to signify that he's activating his monster's effect to destroy Volcanic Slicer as shown by Zaborg destroying it with a lightning bolt. He then activates Berlineth's effect to look at Austin's hand so he can banish a card until the end phase. Seeing his hand, Sawatari gets rid of Volcanic Counter for the turn. Then Sawatari activates Frost Blast of Monarchs to destroy Austin's set card since he controls a monster with 2400 attack and 1000 defense. But when the set card gets destroyed, it creates a fiery explosion that knocks Sawatari back.

Sawatari: 3000 life points. Hand: 2.

"What was that?!" Sawatari shouts

"My Volcanic Napalm trap. When it's destroyed my opponent takes 500 damage and I get to add a Volcanic monster from my deck to my hand." Austin explains.

"Grr. Doesn't matter, you're wide open and I attack directly!" Austin takes the hit but doesn't have much of a reaction to the solid vision attack.

Austin: 1600 life points. Hand: 3.

"Oh yeah. I'll end my turn there and the card banish by Berlineth's effect returns to your hand." Sawatari says.

Austin draws and sees that the card he got is Polymerization. "Alright time to end this. I play Polymerization to fuse from my hand Volcanic Counter and Volcanic Hammerer. Living weapons born from flame! Be forged inside the vortex to your next evolution! Fusion summon! Level 6! Volcanic Mortar!"

Appearing on the field is a metallic reptilian beast on all fours with the front legs about three times longer than the hind legs and a red head.

Volcanic Mortar. Level: 6. Fire. Pyro/Fusion/Effect. Attack: 2400. Defense: 1400.

"Wait a fusion monster. Where did you, how did you, get that thing? No one else can fusion summon." Sawatari stammers seeing the monster.

"Let's just say where I'm from everyone knows how to fusion summon and thanks to it this duel is over. At the cost of discarding one pyro-type monster and not having it attack this turn, Volcanic Mortar can destroy one monster my opponent controls and deal damage equal to its original attack points. The monster I'm discarding is Volcanic Scattershot, a card that deals 500 damage when sent to the graveyard. In addition, Volcanic Mortar's name becomes Tri-Blaze Accelerator when its on the field and when Volcanic Scattershot is sent to the graveyard by the effect of a Blaze Accelerator card then I can send two more Scattershots from my deck to the graveyard." Austin explains his play.

"So that means I'll be taking-." Sawatari gulps.

"3900 damage." Yuri finishes.

"I discard Volcanic Scattershot to destroy Zaborg the Thunder Monarch. Go Volcanic Mortar! Inferno Shot!" Austin discards his monster and sends the two copies from his deck to his graveyard. Volcanic Scattershot loads itself by being swallowed by Volcanic Mortar, which then immediately launches a massive fireball with the three Scattershots inside that completely take out Sawatari and his monster in one huge blast.

Sawatari: 0 life points. Hand: 2.

"3900 damage in one move. Now I understand why Serena had an interest in these soldiers." Yuri talks to himself.

Sawatari's lying on the ground in a daze when Austin walks over to him. "Now then if you can be so kind, I have some questions about this place."

Xyz Dimension.

Crow goes around Heartland trying to keep himself inconspicuous. When they arrived here, he, Yugo, and Rin started looking for a place to stay and made a shelter at a warehouse area. Today they're looking around to see what they can find out about this place and get some food.

"Man this place is weird. The atmosphere feels carefree, there's these strange robots picking up trash everywhere, and for some reason I keep seeing pictures of a spade suit around the place." Crow talks to himself. As he walks around, he sees Rin.

"Hey Rin! Rin! Hey did you find out anything about this place or get food? Huh, where did you get those nice clothes?"

The girl he thought was Rin gives Crow a confused look. "Rin? My name is Ruri."

"Hey! What are you doing to my sister?!" Shun shouts shooting daggers at Crow.

"Huh, sister? Wait a minute, now that I get a closer look at you, you're not Rin." Crow says looking at Ruri.

"Just what do you think looking at Ruri like that?" Shun grabs Crow by the collar. This hits a nerve with Crow.

"Hey pal, I made a mistake. But if you want to start something, I'll be happy to finish it." Crow confronts Shun.

"Shun stop this. He obviously mistook me for someone else. Do you really want to start a fight over something like that." Ruri pleas.

"Sorry Ruri, but look at him. With those face tattoos, he could be in a gang or something." Shun says.

"Just because I am in a gang and did time doesn't mean I want to cause trouble." Crow accidently digs himself deeper with that last comment as Ruri and Shun look at him and start assuming trouble. "Ok that wasn't the best thing for me to say but if you're going to fight me, you better prepare yourself."

"Do you really think you can beat someone like me in a duel?" Shun asks.

"I wasn't thinking of a duel but now I am. I refuse to let anyone push me around." Crow puts on his duel disc and activates it. Shun and Ruri notice that Crow's duel disc looks odd in that it's completely round with a curved blade.

"And I refuse to let anything bad happen to Ruri." Shun puts on and activates his duel disc. Crow likewise sees that the duel disc is different from his. It's irregular shape like it's a square and circle combined with a long blade that bends in a way that gives it an uneven look.

"Duel!"

Crow: 4000 life points. Hand: 5.

Shun: 4000 life points. Hand: 5.

"I'm going first and I summon the tuner monster Blackwing – Mistral the Silver Shield. Now that I control a Blackwing monster, I can special summon Blackwing – Gladius the Midnight Sun then I special summon Blackwing – Harmattan the Dust. When it's summoned I can pick a Blackwing monster and increase its level by that Blackwing's level. I pick Mistral the Silver Shield so Harmattan's level goes up by 2. Finally I special summon the tuner monster, Blackwing – Gale the Whirlwind because I control Blackwing monsters." Crow starts off with summoning many monsters in his opening turn.

Blackwing – Mistral the Silver Shield. Level: 2. Dark. Winged-Beast/Tuner/Effect. Attack: 100. Defense: 1800.

Blackwing – Gladius the Midnight Sun. Level: 3. Dark. Winged-Beast/Effect. Attack: 800. Defense: 1500.

Blackwing – Harmattan the Dust. Level: 2 (now 4). Dark. Winged-Beast/Effect. Attack: 800. Defense: 800.

Blackwing – Gale the Whirlwind. Level: 3. Dark. Winged–Beast/Tuner/Effect. Attack: 1300. Defense: 400.

"Is there a point to them having different levels?" Shun scoffs.

"Well to synchro summon obviously." Crow points out.

"Synchro what?" Shun and Ruri question.

"I tune the level 2 tuner Mistral with the level 3 Gladius. Pitch-black wings eclipse the stars as you take flight! Synchro summon! Level 5! Blackwing – Gram the Shining Star!"

Blackwing – Gram the Shining Star. Level: 5. Dark. Winged-Beast/Synchro/Effect. Attack: 2200. Defense: 1500.

Shun and Ruri are taken aback at seeing this completely different form of summoning but Shun snaps out of it when Crow continues his play.

"Next I tune Gale the Whirlwind with Harmattan the Dust. Wet those pitch-black wings. Resonate with the drizzling rain, single strike of lightning! Synchro summon! Level 7! Assault Blackwing – Chidori the Rain Sprinkling!"

Assault Blackwing – Chidori the Rain Sprinkling. Level: 7. Dark. Winged-Beast/Synchro/Effect. Attack: 2600. Defense: 2000.

"Chidori the Rain Sprinkling becomes a tuner since I used Blackwing monsters to summon it and it gains 300 attack for each Blackwing in my graveyard."

Assault Blackwing – Chidori the Rain Sprinkling. Winged-Beast/Synchro/Tuner/Effect. Attack: 3800.

"Tuner? Please tell me you aren't going to use it to do another synchro summon?" Shun asks quickly figuring out how synchro summoning works.

"No I'll end my turn by setting a card face down. Your move." Crow finishes.

"My turn. Draw. I summon Raidraptors – Vanishing Lanius."

Raidraptors – Vanishing Lanius. Level: 4. Dark. Winged-Beast/Effect. Attack: 1300. Defense: 1600.

"When Raidraptors – Vanishing Lanius is summoned, I can summon a level 4 or lower Raidraptors monster from my hand. I special summon another Vanishing Lanius and use its effect to special summon a third Vanishing Lanius from my hand."

"How did you get all three copies of the same monster in your opening hand?" Crow comments.

"Now I overlay all three of my level 4 Vanishing Lanius monsters! Obscured falcon, raise your sharpened talons in front of adversity, spread your wings of rebellion! Xyz summon! Rank 4! Raidraptors – Rise Falcon!"

Raidraptors – Rise Falcon. Rank: 4. Dark. Winged-Beast/Xyz/Effect. Attack: 100. Defense: 2000.

"Xyz summon? Rank? What is this monster?" Crow questions seeing Shun's monster.

At about the same time Crow and Shun's duel started, Yugo was doing his own look around Heartland. Yugo rides around Heartland's roads on his D-Wheel to cover more ground and look around the place. That got irritating pretty fast since the traffic started building up because of roadwork so he decided to move around off road.

Despite going at pretty low speeds so he doesn't accidently hurt anyone, the Obots take notice of this and switch to law enforcement mode by projecting a hologram screen of a stop sign.

"HALT! THIS AREA FOR PEDESTRIANS ONLY. PLEASE, STOP YOUR VEHICLE AND PREPARE TO PAY A FINE." The Obot says.

"A fine. I don't have any money and I'm not causing any trouble so move." Yugo says as he moves around the Obot that chases him. Yugo speeds up some so he can get away. Unlike with Security, these robots were pushovers. However, he soon sees a blockade of Obots forming that he soon crashes into, which results in an Obot getting destroyed and spreading garbage everywhere.

During this chase nearby, an older teen with yellow and green hair tests out some specially made roller wheels on his shoes.

"Well Allen looks like your rollerboots work like a charm." Kaito says easily moving around on them.

"I know right. Though I really should be thanking you for the help. I mean you did manage to come up with the answers of what I should do whenever I hit a roadblock in making them." Allen says.

"Actually I only really just offered some advice here and there when I saw you working on them. You were the one who came up with the idea of using the hard light technology that create duel disc blades into wheels and did all of the hard work making these."

"Kaito's right, Allen. This invention is all you and I can't wait to try them out." Sayaka says cheerfully.

"Don't worry when we meet up with Shun, Ruri, and Yuto soon, I'll let all of you try them. I just wish I could've made more than two pairs." Allen says. As they talk, the three hear Yugo's screams as he tries to keep his D-Wheel under control while some destroyed Obots scatter about. Kaito instinctively grabs Allen and Sayaka to move them away from him as Yugo comes to a stop.

"Man that was nuts. Stupid robots got Ringo dirty with that trash. Better get out of here before I get sent to a Facility or wherever they send people this place doesn't like." Yugo discusses to himself.

"Hey you! What do you think you're doing littering and smashing up my father's Obots?" Kaito shouts at Yugo which gets his attention.

"Sorry about them, but I can't afford to get in trouble so I'm leaving." Yugo tries to move but Kaito uses the rollerboots to quickly get in his path.

"I can't let some hooligan run around trashing up Heartland so I'm not letting you get away." Kaito puts on his duel disc.

"A duel. That sounds good to me because I refuse to loose to anyone." Yugo switches Ringo, his D-Wheel, to duel mode. When the computerized voice announces this, Kaito becomes a little curious about the vehicle.

"Duel!"

Yugo: 4000 life points. Hand: 5.

Kaito: 4000 life points. Hand: 5.

"Is that guy seriously going to duel on that motorcycle?" Sayaka asks.

"I don't know if that's really cool or really stupid but it doesn't matter. Against the Ace of the Clover Branch, this guy doesn't stand a chance." Allen says.

Yugo starts riding around the area as he starts things off. "First I summon Speedroid Horse Stilts and I use its effect to special summon the tuner monster Speedroid Dominobutterfly."

Speedroid Horse Stilts. Level: 4. Wind. Machine/Effect. Attack: 1100. Defense: 1100.

Speedroid Dominobutterfly. Level: 2. Wind. Machine/Pendulum/Tuner/Effect. Attack: 100. Defense: 300.

"Hmm. Tuner?" Kaito questions.

"Now I tune Speedroid Dominobutterfly to Speedroid Horse Stilts. Magical sword with the form of a cross, use your power to rend all enemies! Synchro summon! Level 6! Hi-Speedroid Kendama!"

Hi-Speedroid Kendama. Level: 6. Wind. Machine/Synchro/Effect. Attack: 2200. Defense: 1600.

Kaito, Allen, and Sayaka get thrown off guard when they see Yugo synchro summon his monster since it wasn't xyz summoning. Yugo stops riding so he can banish Speedroid Horse Stilts from his graveyard so he can use Hi-Speedroid Kendama's effect to deal 500 damage to Kaito and end his turn.

Kaito: 3500 life points. Hand: 5.

"Not since I heard about Yuto's pendulum summoning did I expect to see this. If it wasn't for the fact that you've gotten on my bad side, I probably would have fun with this duel." Kaito says.

"Wait did you say summoning about pendulum summoning. Doesn't matter, it's your turn." Yugo says.

"My turn. Draw. I play Photon Veil. This magic card lets me shuffle three Light monsters from my hand into my deck then I can add from my deck up to three level 4 or lower Light monsters so long as they all have the same name. I add three Cipher Wings to my hand and I summon one."

Cipher Wing. Level: 4. Light. Machine/Effect. Attack: 1400. Defense: 1200.

"Now that I control a Cipher monster, I can special summon the other two. I sacrifice the first Cipher Wing so I can increase their levels by 4."

Cipher Wing (x2). Level: 8.

"Now I overlay both of them. Galaxy shining in the darkness, dwell in the cosmic god of light and become my servant! Xyz summon! Rank 8! Galaxy Eyes Cipher Dragon!"

Galaxy Eyes Cipher Dragon. Rank: 8. Light. Dragon/Xyz/Effect. Attack: 3000. Defense: 2500.

"Huh, xyz summon?" Yugo says baffled by the summoning.

"I remove an overlay unit to activate my dragon's effect. I take control of your monster and its name and attack become the same as Galaxy Eyes Cipher Dragon. However, it can't attack you directly and its effects are negated. Go, Cipher Projection!" One of the orbiting overlay units disappears and Yugo's monster goes to Kaito's side where it gains Galaxy Eyes Cipher Dragon's appearance.

Hi-Speedroid Kendama (Galaxy Eyes Cipher Dragon). Attack: 3000.

"Now I attack directly with the actual Galaxy Eyes. Cipher Stream of Destruction!"

"Not happening! When I'm attacked, I get to special summon Speedroid Menko from my hand and it switches all of your monsters to defense position." Yugo counters with by summoning another monster.

Speedroid Menko. Level: 4. Wind. Machine/Effect. Attack: 100. Defense: 2000.

"You were able to avoid that. I set two cards and end my turn. Your monster returns to you now with its effects and stats restored." Kaito says.

"My turn. Draw."

"I activate one of my trap cards Final Attack Orders. As long as this card is face up, all monsters are switched to attack mode and can't go into defense. I checked your monsters effect and noticed that it can perform piercing damage so if you planned on using that, you can't anymore." Kaito activates his trap.

"Awesome Kaito's ruining this guys strategy." Allen commentates.

However, Yugo just smirks. "Actually, now I get to do some real damage. I summon Speedroid Red-Eyed Dice."

Speedroid Red-Eyed Dice. Level: 1. Wind. Machine/Tuner/Effect. Attack: 100. Defense: 100.

"I activate Red-Eyed Dice's effect to make it a level 3 monster so that I can tune it to the level 4 Speedroid Menko. Spread those wondrous and beautiful wings, and strike down your enemies at the speed of light! Synchro summon! Level 7! Clear Wing Synchro Dragon!"

Clear Wing Synchro Dragon. Level: 7. Wind. Dragon/Synchro/Effect. Attack: 2500. Defense: 2000.

When Clear Wing Synchro Dragon hits the field, it lets out a mighty roar. This roar gets the attention of another dragon card that calls out its owner.

"Huh? This feeling." Yuto says to himself.

"What is it Yuto?" Yuto's mother, Lono, asks her son. She's a lovely woman with long wavy golden hair.

"I'm not sure but Dark Rebellion is crying out about something." Yuto says as he takes out his Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon, which is resonating to the presence of Clear Wing's summoning.

"Sorry mom but I got to head this way." Yuto apologizes as he runs off where Dark Rebellion is telling him to go.

"Wait, Yuto! Stop this instant. I thought for sure talking to that card was a phase. Now he's listening to it again." Lono says.

Over at the duel between the Crow and Shun duel.

"I remove an overlay unit from Raidraptor – Rise Falcon. I can select one special summoned monster you control and my falcon will gain attack equal its attack. In addition, Rise Falcon can attack everyone of your special summoned monsters." Shun explains.

"It can what?!" Crow startles.

"The monster I pick is Chidori the Rain Sprinkling."

Raidraptor – Rise Falcon. Attack: 3900.

"Rise Falcon battle!" Shun's monster swoops down and destroys each one of Crow's monsters.

Crow: 2200 life points. Hand: 0.

"I activate my face down trap card Shadow Impulse. When a synchro monster is destroyed, I can summon another one from my extra deck with the same level and type but a different name. I summon Assault Blackwing – Raikiri the Rain Shower." Crow says.

Assault Blackwing – Raikiri the Rain Shower. Level: 7. Dark. Winged-Beast/Synchro/Effect. Attack: 2600. Defense: 2000.

"I also activate Chidori the Rain Sprinkling's other effect to special summon Gram the Shining Star back to my field."

"I'll set two cards face down to end my turn, and Rise Falcon's attack returns to normal." Shun says.

"My turn. Draw. Heh. I summon Blackwing – Tornado the Reverse Wind."

Blackwing – Tornado the Reverse Wind. Level: 4. Dark. Winged-Beast/Effect. Attack: 1000. Defense: 1000.

"When this monster is summoned and my opponent controls a special summoned monster, I can special summon a Blackwing tuner monster from my graveyard but its effects will be negated. I special summon Blackwing – Gale the Whirlwind. Alright, I'm activating Raikiri's effect. For every other Blackwing monster I control, I can target and destroy a card on your field. I have three so your falcon and those two set cards both get destroyed."

Crow's Assault Blackwing releases bolts of lightning from his sword that wipe Shun's field clean. Now that he's open to direct attacks, Crow goes in to finish things by having his Raikiri make the first direct attack.

Shun: 1400 life points. Hand: 1.

Before Crow can order his next monster to attack and end things, Shun stops him. "One of the trap cards you destroyed was Raidraptors – Desertion. When I take battle damage, I can banish this card to end the battle phase and add either a Raidraptor monster or a Rank-Up Magic card from my deck to my hand."

"So you're still in this duel then. I end my turn." Crow says.

At the same time their duel is happening, Yugo and Kaito's duel gets more intense.

"I activate Hi-Speedroid Kendama's effect to deal 500 damage to you but it won't happen because I also activate Clear Wing's effect. Dichroic Mirror! When a level 5 or higher monster activates its effect, I get to negate and destroy that monster. Then Clear Wing gains its attack until the end of the turn." Yugo sacrifices his Kendama in order to strengthen Clear Wing.

Clear Wing Synchro Dragon. Attack: 4700.

"Now I attack your Galaxy Eyes Cipher Dragon! Helldive Slasher of Whirlwind!" Clear Wing flies up and starts spinning like a drill toward Kaito's dragon.

"Trap activate. Cipher Bit." Kaito activates his face down. "Cipher Bit attaches itself to Galaxy Eyes Cipher Dragon and it prevents its next destruction."

"But you still take the damage."

Kaito: 1800 life points. Hand: 0.

"I end my turn and Clear Wing's attack returns to normal." Yugo states.

Clear Wing Synchro Dragon. Attack: 2500.

"My turn. Draw! I remove an overlay unit to take your Clear Wing Synchro Dragon. Cipher Projection!"

"I use Clear Wing's effect to negate a level 5 or higher monster's effect and destroy it." Yugo declares.

"Xyz monsters don't have levels." Kaito informs him.

"Wait if they don't have levels doesn't that mean their level is 0. Never mind, I'll use her other effect. Since Clear Wing is a level 5 or higher monster then I can negate a monster effect that targets it and destroy that monster then she gains the attack points. Dichroic Mirror!"

Clear Wing Synchro Dragon's wings glow and shoot a blast of light that destroy Galaxy Eyes Cipher Dragon. Then its attack goes up. However, since it can only use each of its effects once per turn, Kaito had a contingency plan for this. He activates a magic card called Cipher Revival in order to special summon up to three level 4 or lower Cipher monsters from his graveyard. He summons all three Cipher Wing monsters and tributes one to make the other two level 8. Then he overlays them to bring out a second Galaxy Eyes Cipher Dragon.

"Oh great you got another one?" Yugo comments.

"Now that you can't use your dragon's effect again this turn. I remove an overlay unit to take control of it and make it the same as Galaxy Eyes. Now Galaxy Eyes Cipher Dragon attack him directly! Cipher Stream of Destruction!" Kaito orders his dragon.

Yugo starts instinctively riding to avoid the hologram projected attack but it still hits resulting in massive damage. Kaito follows after him since Yugo goes off too far from where they started at the beginning of the duel with Allen and Sayaka following behind them.

Yugo: 1000 life points. Hand: 2.

"I end my turn and your monster returns to your field back to normal." Kaito states.

"Then it's my turn. Draw! With Scale 1, Speedroid Carddragonfly, and Scale 7, Speedroid Powerroulette, I set the pendulum scale." Yugo sets his pendulum cards while he rides around.

Yugo's scales: 1-7.

"Wait pendulum!" Allen shouts.

"But I thought Yuto was the only person who had pendulum cards?" Sayaka questions this reveal.

"Who is this guy?" Kaito wonders.

Before Yugo can make his play, he spots Crow and Shun dueling and goes toward them. He starts calling out Crow's name.

"Hey Crow!"

"Yugo!" Crow smiles seeing his friend.

"Fusion?" Ruri questions before she turns to see Kaito, Allen, and Sayaka following behind Yugo. "Kaito! And Allen and Sayaka!"

When Yugo and Kaito get close enough to Crow and Shun, all four of their duel discs enter Battle Royale mode.

"Hey Crow, need some help?" Yugo asks.

"Not really, but since we're in Battle Royale mode, I can accept it. Besides it looks like we both got into some trouble." Crow says.

"Yeah and I got things set up for a good comeback." Yugo declares.

"Kaito, what's going on?" Shun asks his friend.

"Truthfully, I have no idea. That guy on the motorcycle was causing trouble and he can use a summoning I've never seen before." Kaito tells him.

"Yeah so can the guy I'm dueling."

"That's not all. If you look at my opponent's field, he can use pendulum monsters just like Yuto."

"Are you serious?"

"Hey, Cipher guy. It's still my turn and with the scales set, I pendulum summon! Speedroid Terrortop and returning from my extra deck Speedroid Dominobutterfly!"

"No way! This guy can pendulum summon just like Yuto." Ruri says. When she says this, Yugo takes notice of her and starts calling out to her cheerfully because he mistakes her for Rin.

"Rin!" Ruri recognizes him saying Yugo using the same name Crow called her earlier. Then all the Heartland residents become completely surprised when Yugo removes his helmet to reveal his face.

"Hey Rin! Where did you get that dress? It looks great on you. Actually, why aren't you helping? Come on with your help, these guys will go down in a second."

No one spoke a word. They are still in shock that this stranger cannot only use pendulum summoning like Yuto but he looks just like him. Then things take an even stranger and confusing turn as Ruri's bracelet releases a bright yellow light around the area. When the light dies down, Yugo and Crow vanish and the duel terminates since Shun and Kaito's opponents are gone.

"Hey, guys what are you doing?" Yuto appears which everyone turns and stares confusingly at him.

"Yuto! Yuto, I kept telling you to stop. What's gotten into you?" Lono questions her son.

"I'm sorry mom, but for some reason I felt drawn here." Yuto asks. He and his mom then see everyone staring at Yuto.

"Yuto is that really you?" Ruri approaches Yuto still giving him a strange look.

"What are you talking about Ruri? Of course it's me." Yuto says.

"Ruri sweety, why is everyone giving Yuto these odd looks?" Lono asks.

"I don't know."

 **OC Cards**

Volcanic Napalm. Normal Trap.

Inflict 500 damage to your opponent and add 1 Volcanic monster from your deck to your hand. You can activate this card when it is destroyed by a card effect.

Volcanic Mortar/Fire/Level: 6/Pyro/Fusion/Effect/Attack: 2400/Defense: 1400.

2 Volcanic monsters.

This card's name can be treated as Tri-Blaze Accelerator while it's on the field. Once per turn, you can discard one pyro-type monster to destroy a monster your opponent controls: deal damage equal to that monster's original attack. This card cannot attack the turn you activate this effect.

Raidraptor – Desertion

At the start of your opponent's battle phase, target a Raidraptor monster you control: your opponent can't select it as an attack target. When you take battle damage: you can banish this card from your graveyard to end the battle phase and add 1 Raidraptor monster or Rank-Up Magic card from your deck to your hand.

Cipher Revival. Normal Magic.

Special summon up to three level 4 or lower Cipher monsters from your graveyard. If you special summon two or more, they must have the same name.

 **Notes: Ugh, the duel with Crow, Shun, Yugo, and Kaito was difficult to write. Mainly because of jumping back and forth. I also altered the summoning chant on Galaxy Eyes Cipher Dragon since the original reflected Kaito's merciless desire for revenge on Academy, which he obviously doesn't have in this story. I was thinking of doing the same with Rise Falcon's but it works just find since Rise Falcon's low attack and effect does fit a rebellion and adversity theme.**

 **Some things about this non-invaded Heartland. First, Yuto's mother. She's Lono Osaku and I would like to thank tumblr user real-life-pine-tree for offering her for use. We don't know what Yuto's life was like before the invasion other than the relationship he had with Ruri and his friends. So I'm using Lono to add to his character. According to real-life-pine-tree she's the kind of mother who smothers her child, but is really supportive of her son and wants him to be happy.**

 **I also made it so that the Obots function similar to the robots seen in Psycho Pass. Actually, I kind of view Heartland as an anti-cyberpunk dystopia where in the technology has greatly benefited people, but it doesn't have the bleak outlook you see in stuff like Psycho Pass. A sharp contrast to the synchro dimension and the City where the negative social problems are in the open.**

 **Also, I really wanted to address the fact that the xyz users not only have multiple copies of the same monster but they can apparently get all of them in their opening hand. It was something I've noticed a lot in Zexal and just wanted to point out.**


	8. The LDS trio

**Note: Be sure you read the author's not at the bottom. I have something important to say. Until then please enjoy this chapter and have fun. Thank you.**

Xyz Dimension.

Yugo and Crow instantly appear in a random part of Heartland. Since their opponent's are gone, both of their duel discs terminate the duel.

"What just happened, Crow?" Yugo asks.

"I have no clue. All I remember was a bright yellow light and now we're here. Must be something special the people here have like those xyz monsters." Crow speculates.

"Yeah those xyz monsters were strange. Did you know they don't have levels?" Yugo then remembers Ruri, who he thinks is Rin, was back there. "Wait a minute, what about Rin? She was with those guys."

"That wasn't Rin, Yugo. I don't know who that girl was but for whatever reason she does look like her."

"Wait seriously? So does that mean there are two Rins or something."

"I don't know. I think we should head back to the warehouse and lay low just incase those guys call any kind of law enforcement." Crow assumes the worse as he grabs a spare helmet from the D-Wheel and gets on.

"Good idea. Hopefully Rin's having better luck than us." Yugo rides off to head back to their hiding spot.

Elsewhere, Rin has been getting some food to take back, but due to having very little money, she's resorted to shoplifting whatever she can grab. Things unfortunately turn bad for her when one the food vendors finds her stealing something from him and calls her out as a thief openly.

" _Crap, I've been caught. I got to make a run for it and find someplace to hide so I can head back to the warehouse."_ Rin thinks to herself but before she starts running a boy around her age with pink hair and green eyes steps in.

"Excuse me sir. Sorry, my friend forgot her wallet at home and must've entered a panic when you accused her of stealing. Here, I'm sure this will cover whatever you think she took." The boy politely says handing over his credit card.

"Oh. No problem at all. It's always a pleasure to do business with the Arclight family especially a future Ace." The vendor says.

"Oh come on. There's no guarantee that I'll be an Ace like my brothers, but I just want you to excuse this misunderstanding." The pink-haired boy modestly says.

"Sure no problem."

"Uh, why did you do that?" Rin questions.

"Well you obviously seem like someone desperate for a meal, but you don't want to cause any harm. I figure I might as well help you out since you need the food more than anyone else. I'm Michael Arclight." Michael introduces.

"My name is Rin. Thank you. I never thought someone who's rich would help someone like me."

"How'd you know I was rich?"

"Where I'm from only people with lots of money carry credit. Actually if you don't mind Michael could you explain a bit about this place to m?"

"Sure, no problem Rin." After Michael got his card back and Rin was given a grocery bag so she can hold the food Michael paid for, the two sit down for Michael to explain things about Heartland.

"This city is called Heartland. It's considered one of the most peaceful places in the world mainly thanks to my father and Dr. Faker. Their genius have helped advance things to the point the city's cleaner and has more job opportunities."

"That sounds a little too good to be true." Rin gives him a skeptical look.

"Well I wouldn't call this place perfect, but you hardly ever hear any problems going on." Michael says with a smile despite Rin's disbelief of the place. She changes the subject to something else she's curious about.

"Earlier that guy said something about a being a future Ace. What was he talking about exactly?"

"You see that picture over there of a heart?" Thomas points to a heart that looks like a playing card suit around the market area.

"Yes."

"That means you're in the Heart District of Heartland. Heartland is so big that the city is divided into four districts with our duel school being separated into four branches to match those districts: heart, clover, diamond, and spade. The youth of the city attend one of the branches to learn dueling and amongst the students in each branch the number one best students gain the title Ace. Currently, the Aces are Kaito Tenjo of the Clover Branch, Shun Kurosaki of the Spade Branch, Kyoji Yagumo of the Diamond Branch, and Thomas Arclight of the Heart Branch. As you can tell by the name, Thomas is my older brother."

"The Aces sound a bit like the King from where I'm from. So because he's your brother, does that mean everyone believes you'll beat him and take the title of Ace?" Rin asks.

"It doesn't work like that. You see even the Aces lose on occasion. In fact, recently someone from the Spade Branch actually beat Thomas in a match. You see the Aces are decided by their dueling records. The more victories they have over everyone else in their branch determines their title. The reason why everyone thinks I'll be the next Ace of the Heart Branch is because my oldest brother, Chris, was the Ace. After he graduated, Thomas gained the title since his record was the best in the branch."

"No offense Michael, but that sounds kind of dull." Rin flat out states.

"Huh, what do you mean?"

"Sorry, it's just that where I come from your success gets determined by winning only. A single loss could mean complete failure of one's own life forever. In fact, my friend Yugo and I plan on getting as strong as we can so that one day defeat the best duelist in the City and live the good life." 

"Well I wish you two luck with that. Though next time, try not to shoplift, Rin. Criminal activity is still criminal activity."

"Easy for you to say. You actually have money." Rin remarks with a cold look that gives Michael the chills. Noticing this, he decides to offer some generosity.

"Well just so you know there's a shelter in the Spade District. They have free food and some space for sleeping. If you need a place to stay until you get back home, I recommend there."

"Oh thank you. I'll be sure to tell Crow and Yugo this. See you later." Rin gets up and leaves with the food he bought her.

"See you later too." Michael waves goodbye.

Over at the Spade District, Yuto and Lono get filled in on what happened before he showed up.

"So there's two people around Heartland who use a bizarre summoning method and the one on the motorcycle not only looks like me, he can also use pendulum summoning." Yuto recaps.

"It was so weird. We saw him do it and when he took off his helmet, he had the same face." Sayaka says.

"But he acted nothing like Yuto. I mean that guy was crass and irresponsible." Allen states.

"Really? Because when he saw me, he acted very nice." Ruri says, which secretly irritates Yuto. "Actually, he only did that because he mistook me for this Rin person just like the guy Shun dueled."

"Does that mean that there's a girl in Heartland who looks like you Ruri who's friends with those delinquents?" Lono questions.

"We're not sure. And the fact that they just vanished in thin air is stranger. Seriously, what's going on?" Shun says with some frustration in his voice over all this.

"Don't know but I'm got to head back home." Kaito says as he leaves.

"Huh, wait Kaito, I thought you were free to hang out with us? Why are you leaving?" Allen asks.

"I want to get my father to check the security footage of the Obots that look-alike trashed. That motorcycle Yuto's doppelganger drove."

"Why?" Yuto asks.

"Not only could he use it to duel but there was some other odd stuff about it like how parts of it lit up and the hum from the engine. I grew up with various technology because of my father's work, and that motorcycle just screams unusual to me. Anyways, I'll see you guys later and hopefully we'll get some answers to all this." Kaito explains as he walks off.

As Kaito leaves, Ruri goes up to Yuto and asks if she can talk to him in private about something. Lono sees this and decides to occupy Shun, Allen, and Sayaka's time while they talk since she knows about their secret relationship. When their a good distance Yuto asks what she wants to talk about and Ruri puts a hand on Yuto's face and stares at it causing him to blush.

"It's so weird, but he really did look like you." Ruri says.

"Well I'm betting he wasn't as handsome as me." Yuto says in a flirting tone.

"No he wasn't." Ruri laughs but then starts showing a concerned look on her face.

Yuto notices and gets serious. "Ok, Ruri. What did you really want to talk about?"

"Right before those two disappeared my bracelet glowed a bright light and I believe that's what sent them away. The other's didn't notice because they were too distracted by your doppelganger, but I kind of did."

"You should probably ask Dr. Faker to look at it. Even if he doesn't know, he could always get Dr. Arclight or Chris Arclight to take a look. I mean those three know practically everything. Though, why is that upsetting you?"

"It's not that. You see the light shined just a few seconds before you appeared. For a moment, it felt like you two were secretly the same person to me."

"Ruri that's insane. I was with my mom all day until now."

"I know it sounds silly but someone's out there with your face and pendulum summoning. Plus there's the idea of that Rin girl who looks like me."

"I get it. Actually, the reason I came running toward here was because Dark Rebellion kept crying out for me to come here." Yuto confesses. This time Ruri gives him a confused look.

"Seriously. Wait, Shun and I thought you were joking when you said you could here your dragon?"

"No, I wasn't. It's just he's stayed mostly quiet for the past few years, but this time he urgently wanted me to come here."

The xyz couple think over everything that just went on over again in their heads: two strangers who use a strange summoning method, one can use pendulum summoning and looks like Yuto, there may be a doppelganger of Ruri around Heartland, Ruri's bracelet, and Yuto's dragon. What did it all mean?

Standard Dimension.

Today was one of the days You Show Duel School is closed. However, this worked out well for the people running it. Yusho and Shuzo along with Yoko take Yuya, Yuzu, and Gongenzaka to Leo Corporation because Leo and Reiji request them to come for help with something on their off day though they mostly wanted Yuya and his friends to help.

"Can I help you?" the person running the front desk asks.

"Yes we're here to see Leo and Reiji Akaba. Tell them that Yusho Sakaki is here." Yusho says.

"Oh Mr. Sakaki you were expected. I was told to let you to go on through. Mr. Nakajima will show you where to go."

As Nakajima shows them to the elevator, Yuzu turns to her dad. "Hey dad, what does Mr. Akaba want us to help out exactly?"

"He never said. He and Reiji want it to be a surprise since you three kids might enjoy it." Shuzo explains.

"Oh. We just were hoping for some kind of specifics."

"Is something wrong kids?" Yoko notices Yuya and Yuzu acting uncomfortable.

"No it's nothing mom it's just every time we've seen Mr. Akaba, he always acts weird around me and Yuzu." Yuya explains remembering all the odd looks Leo gives him and Yuzu.

"Plus recently he seems to want to avoid us even though we've never done anything to him." Yuzu adds.

"Leo's a good and brilliant man. He just has a lot of issues that have started surfacing over the past few years. His family and I keep telling him seek some kind of help but he always brushes it off." Yusho explains to them.

"You really can't help someone if they don't want it, but I'm positive he'll open up someday." Shuzo thinks.

They reach the floor and Nakajima leads them to an area that's mostly small Action Fields for practice in the hallway that leads to the entrance of them are the Akaba family who go to greet them and behind them are three kids that are all Yuya, Yuzu, and Gongenzaka's age.

"Yusho. It's great to see you again. It's good to see you too Shuzo and Yoko." Leo shakes Yusho's hand as he welcomes them.

"Same here. I'm surprised you were able to meet all of us with your's and Reiji's busy schedules." Yusho says.

"Himika and Reira aren't here." Yoko notices.

"Reira has therapy today so they won't be joining us." Reiji informs them. "Anyways let's move things on to why we want you here. We're in the final steps of releasing fusion, xyz, and synchro summoning to the public. Now we want do field tests. The three people with us are Hokuto Shijima, Masumi Kotsu, and Yaiba Todo. They're LDS students who each showed the most skill at using one of these methods."

"LDS students who can use those new summoning methods." Yuya says to his friends in awe.

"Sounds like they're really strong duelists." Gongenzaka says with the same impressed tone.

"But what does that have to do with us?" Yuzu asks Reiji directly.

"Put it simply, we'd like to see how they fair against people who know nothing of how these methods work. To see if the public can follow and understand them in an actual duel as well as to get an outsider's opinion since those at LDS know everything about them. Basically I want you three to duel them so we can see what you think about the future of dueling." Reiji responds.

"Wow! That sounds awesome!" Yuya gives off a big smile.

The Action Fields get set up and the six students are divided to face their opponents. Since You Show group are very curious about these new summoning methods, they're willing to let the LDS trio take the first moves and even pick the action fields.

In Yuya's field, Cosmic Santuary is activated and he's going up against Hakuto Shijima the xyz user.

"A star field. Seems kind of on the nose don't you think?" Yuya says.

"It's my favorite field. I'm sure you have one too, however, I must say this is something I've been looking forward to for quite a while, Yuya Sakaki." Hakuto says.

"Wait really? I just found out about all of this just now."

"Actually I meant dueling you. Dueling was something I was already good at to the point that I have a forty wins in a row."

"Forty wins!"

"Yeah, but then I saw your match when you first used pendulum summoning and I get to test both my skills and the power of xyz against someone like you. Put it simply, I want to prove that both LDS and xyz summoning are the strongest form of dueling out there and I think the son of Yusho Sakaki and founder of pendulum summoning will be a great to show it." Hakuto gives off a confident but smug smile, which Yuya returns with one that's more excited.

"Great then let's enjoy and begin the fun!"

Yuzu goes up against LDS' fusion user, Masumi Kotsu, in the action field Crystal Corridor.

"Alright I'm ready to start whenever you are." Yuzu says but then notices Masumi keeps eyeing her. "Is something the matter?"

"No it's nothing. It's just that my father is a jeweler and I know a lot about appraisal from him. From what I can tell from you, you shine with a lot of confidence but your still very rough around the edges. You're kind of like raw ore that hasn't been properly cut or polished yet to be considered something worth proudly wearing yet." Masumi explains with some arrogance.

"Hey don't look down on me! I helped Yuya beat one of you LDS students before and I can take you on anytime." Yuzu boasts.

"Oh were you the one who fought Sawatari?"

"You know about that?"

"He doesn't shut up about it." Masumi gives a flat and annoyed look when she says this.

As for Gongenzaka, he gets paired up with Yaiba Todo, the synchro specialist. Their field is the Sword's Cemetary action field.

"I, the man Gongenzaka, am ready to fight even if it's against something unknown like synchro." Gongenzaka declares.

"Well that's good. Truthfully, I wanted to go against Yusho's son and his pendulum monsters first but I'll face anyone." Yaiba says.

"I understand but Steadfast dueling is something that won't go down."

"I was going to say the same thing about synchro."

"If everyone is ready. Begin!" Reiji announces over an intercom as he and the others watch all three duels on monitors so they can see them at all at once.

"Duelist locked in battle!" Yuya and Hakuto chant together.

"Kicking the earth and dancing in the air alongside their monsters!" Yuzu and Masumi chant together.

"They storm the field!" Gongenzaka and Yaiba chant together as well.

"Behold! This is the newest and greatest evolution of dueling!" All three LDS students chant.

"Action!" Yuya, Yuzu, and Gongenzaka chant.

"Duel!"

Yuya: 4000 life points. Hand: 5.

Hakuto: 4000 life points. Hand: 5.

"Prepare to be truly amazed Sakaki. First I activate the continuous magic card Constellar Star Chart. Whenever I summon a Constellar xyz monster, I get to draw a card once per turn." Hakuto starts off.

"Wait, you're going to summon a xyz monster now?" Yuya asks.

"Not yet, but I will. First I summon Constellar Pollux."

Constellar Pollux. Level: 4. Light. Warrior/Effect. Attack: 1700. Defense: 600.

"On the turn I normal summon him, I get to normal summon another Constellar monster so I tribute him to summon the level 6 Constellar Alrescha. When he's normal summoned, I can special summon a Constellar monster from my hand in defense position so I bring out the level 6 monster, Constellar Antares. I also activate his effect to add Constellar Pollux back to my hand."

Constellar Alrescha. Level: 6. Light. Warrior/Effect. Attack: 2200. Defense: 1200.

Constellar Antares. Level: 6. Light. Machine/Effect. Attack: 2400. Defense: 900.

" _Why is he pointing out their levels? Does this have something to do with xyz summoning?"_ Yuya thinks to himself only to be answered by Hakuto's next move.

"I now have two level 6 monsters on my field meaning I can now overlay them to summon my monster. The great and mighty rain down your dazzling light! Xyz summon! Rank 6! Constellar Ptolemy M7!" Hakuto's two monsters both turned into yellow streams of light and enter into a black swirling galaxy. Coming out of the galaxy is a white and gold robotic dragon with two balls of yellow light orbiting it.

Constellar Ptolemy M7. Rank: 6. Light. Machine/Xyz/Effect. Attack: 2700. Defense: 2000.

Yuya becomes surprised to see this monster and even more so looking at the card on his duel disc display. It was like looking at his pendulum cards for the first time.

"Since I xyz summoned, Constellar Star Chart let's me draw a card. I end my turn with that." Hakuto says.

Yuzu: 4000 life points. Hand: 5.

Masumi: 4000 life points. Hand: 5.

"Ok time to show off the dazzling powers of fusion." Masumi says as Yuzu prepares for whatever will come. "I play Polymerization so that I can take from my hand Gem-Knight Garnet and Gem-Knight Obsidian and fuse them together. Gem with the flaming fist! Black stone of beauty! In a whirlpool of light combine to bring forth a new dazzling radiance! Fusion summon! Level 6! Gem-Knight Ruby!" The two elegant monsters she showed in her hand twist and spin together in an orange and blue vortex that summons a red knight monster.

Gem-Knight Ruby. Level: 6. Earth. Pyro/Fusion/Effect. Attack: 2500. Defense: 1300.

"I also activate Gem-Knight Obsidian's effect. Since it was sent from my hand to the graveyard, I can special summon a level 4 or lower normal monster in my graveyard so I'll bring back Gem-Knight Garnet and end my turn.

Gem-Knight Garnet. Level: 4. Earth. Pyro/Normal. Attack: 1900. Defense: 0.

"Did those two monsters become one? So this is fusion summoning." Yuzu observes.

Gongenzaka: 4000 life points. Hand: 5.

Yaiba: 4000 life points. Hand: 5.

"Let's start. First, I summon XX-Saber Boggart Knight and I use his effect to special summon a X-Saber from my hand so I'll play the tuner monster X-Saber Airbellum." Yaiba starts.

"Tuner monster?" Gongenzaka questions.

XX-Saber Boggart Knight. Level: 4. Earth. Beast-Warrior/Effect. Attack: 1900. Defense: 1000.

X-Saber Airbellum. Level: 3. Earth. Beast/Tuner/Effect. Attack: 1600. Defense: 200.

"Now I tune the level 3 tuner X-Saber Airbellum with the level 4 XX-Saber Boggart Knight. Wielder of crossed blades of light, trample over this mountain of corpses! Synchro summon! Level 7! X-Saber Souza!" Airbellum scratches its claws together and transforms into three green rings that Boggart Knight travels into to become four stars. A beam of light then goes through and a massive berserker wielding two swords appears onto the field.

X-Saber Souza. Level: 7. Earth. Warrior/Synchro/Effect. Attack: 2500. Defense: 1600.

"I set a card face down and end my turn." Yaiba says.

"So this is synchro summoning. Regardless, I the man Gongenzaka, will face it." Gongenzaka states.

"Well Leo those certainly are impressive monsters those kids are using." Yusho compliments while Yoko and Shuzo cheer for the You Show kids.

"Thank you. However, Reiji was the one of who had the idea for them." Leo says.

"We both developed them father don't be modest. I did get the idea from you, however, since when I was kid, you would tell me stories about creatures summoned similar to them."

"Oh yeah I guess I did." Leo recalls before thinking to himself about this. _"Relax. It's fine. The energy levels created from the summonings we've tested so far are pretty moderate at best. Besides it's not like this will affect Zarc. I hope."_

"By the way, Leo why did you want Yuya and his friends to be the ones to duel these kids for this?" Yusho asks, which snaps Leo out of his thoughts.

"Oh, well I would like to say its because we're friends and I want your son and his friends have some fun, but Reiji is also interested in the production of pendulum summoning as well and wants to see how they handle against other summoning methods. Because of this the kids will shift opponents after each of their respective duels."

"I see. It looks like dueling will get even more exciting around here soon."

"Yeah it looks like it will."

Elsewhere in Maiami City, Dennis and Sora are putting on a public show for a crowd with duel for some street money. What makes the people of Maiami City want to see it is how they're using fusion summoning.

It's currently Sora's turn, who has Frightfur Factory and Toy Vendor on his field, one card in his hand, and 1400 life points. Dennis has one set card, Performage Trapeze Alchemist, Performage Trapeze Enchantress, Performage Fooling Oaf, no cards in his hand, and 2100 life points.

"My turn and I draw." Sora says as he draws Fluffal Mouse. "First, I set the card I just drew back on top of my deck so I can special summon Edge Imp Sabres from my graveyard in defense mode. Next I discard Instant Fusion so that I activate Toy Vendor. The card I drew is Fluffal Mouse so it gets special summoned.

Edge Imp Sabres. Level: 3. Dark. Fiend/Effect. Attack: 1200. Defense: 800.

Fluffal Mouse. Level: 1. Earth. Fairy/Effect. Attack: 100. Defense: 100.

"Now I activate Fluffal Mouse's ability to special summon two more Fluffal Mice from deck and I banish Instant Fusion from my graveyard so Frightfur Factory can fuse my four monsters together! Demonic claws! Mayhem of mice! Become one in the mystic vortex and rip everything to shreds! Fusion summon! Level 6! Frightfur Tiger!"

Frightfur Tiger. Level: 6. Dark. Fiend/Fusion/Effect. Attack: 1900. Defense: 1200.

"Ooh, a tiger. Will you be putting on an extravagant magic show, Sora?" Dennis banters.

"Yeah starting by making all your cards disappear. When Frightfur Tiger is fusion summoned, it destroys cards on the field up to the number of fusion materials used to summon it. I used four so all of your monsters and the set card on your field are gone! Not only that but my tiger gains 300 attack for each Frightfur and Fluffal monster I control so he's now at 2200 attack so Frightfur Tiger attack directly!"

Sora's monster goes in to finish Dennis off now that he has no protection and reduces his life points to 0.

Dennis: 0 life points. Hand: 0. Sora wins.

As the two take on the cheers and collect the money they threw for the street performance. Asuka sits next to Serena who's pouting.

"I can't believe the school was closed today." Serena complains.

"Well it's clear it's nothing like Academy. Though it will open again tomorrow and we can learn more about this Yuya kid." Asuka comforts her.

"Yeah and hopefully Yuri will find out about it and be curious enough to see what it's about."

"You really do seem worried about Yuri, Serena?"

"Well not that much. I mean he can handle himself. It's just that I don't want anything real bad to happen. I know he'll be fine, but I also know he has his own personal problems that I don't want to hurt him."

"You two really do care for each other a lot." Asuka teases causing some blush to appear on Serena's face.

"Asuka, you better not be thinking what I think you're thinking. I just don't want Yuri to get seriously hurt in any form ok."

"Ok I get what you mean. Until we find him, we might as well let Sora and Dennis collect our meal funds."

"That is if they don't letting all the excitement of this place go to their heads."

Back over at the Leo Corporation, Yuya figures out how to fight against Hakuto's Constellar monsters. Hakuto tries to return Yuya's Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon back to his hand with Constellar Pleiades but Yuya uses Stargazer Magician to bring his dragon back. Ptolemy M7 has its effects negated thanks to Performapal Seal Eel in Yuya's pendulum zone. Yuya activates Magical Star Illusion to boost all his monsters since they have levels as opposed to ranks and then uses Performapal Radish Horse to drastically reduces Ptolemy M7's attack thanks to its effect and greatly boosts Odd-Eyes. Odd-Eyes attacks and does massive damage especially thanks to its own ability to double the damage. This gives Yuya a win.

Unfortunately, his friends aren't as fortunate as him. Masumi's Gem-Knight Master Diamond banishes her Gem-Knight Ruby from the graveyard so it can gain its effect to tribute Gem-Knight Garnet and become strong enough to destroy Yuzu's Mozarta and reduce her life points to 0.

As for Gongenzaka, Yaiba played X-Saber Vault so that XX-Saber Gottoms can become strong enough to destroy his Big Benkei then attack directly with X-Saber Souza thus winning his duel.

When they exit the action fields, with Hakuto feeling completely down and muttering about his winning streak being over, Yuya goes over to his friends who feel the defeat.

"Man that Hakuto guy was very strong, but I got a great win! How did you guys do?" Yuya cheerfully says.

"Wait you won against your opponent?" Yuzu asks.

"Yeah I did. Wait, you two lost?!"

"I, the man Gongenzaka, must admit that I fought the best I could, but no matter what I tried Yaiba kept bringing out more and more synchro monsters. It truly felt overwhelming." Gongenzaka admits.

"It was the same for me. Masumi could bring out such powerful and useful monsters that I was at my limits." Yuzu says.

"I get what you guys mean. Xyz monsters are practically alien to what I'm used to. I swear if I didn't have my pendulum cards, I probably would lose." Yuya says. His words then give Yuzu and Gongenzaka epiphanies. As Yuya goes to talk to the LDS trio to see who'll duel who next, Yuzu and Gongenzaka have a private confersation.

"Yuzu. Despite none of us knowing what we were up against Yuya still one." Gongenzaka points out.

"Yeah, and recently he's been getting stronger. It's clear that when Yuya got his pendulum cards, his skills have greatly improved. I thought it was because he was getting better, and he is, but I also think it's because he's like those three." Yuzu says.

"I know what you mean. Pendulum. Synchro. Fusion. Xyz. Dueling is evolving to greater heights and we're falling behind it all."

"You're half right Gongenzaka."

"Huh, half right?"

"Dueling is evolving, but we're not going to fall behind. After all, if Yuya can get ahead so can we." Yuzu smiles which also makes Gongenzaka smile too.

Over at the observation station, Yoko is holding back a tearful Shuzo.

"Let go of me Yoko, I got to see if Yuzu's ok after that defeat!"

"Will you calm down? If you just take a look you can see she's fine. See, the kids are talking about who'll go up against who next." Yoko points out the observation window to show that Yuzu is fine.

"Oh. You're right." Shuzo calms down but then goes back to acting hot-blooded again. "Well, at least yet me use the microphone, Reiji, so I can give my daughter and her friends some hot-blooded cheering."

"Actually, me too! I want to congratulate my little entertainer." Yoko joins in causing Reiji to actually sweat drop.

Before he can respond, Reiji gets a call. When he sees who's calling, he sighs. "Excuse me. I got to take this in private. Father can you look over things?"

"No problem Reiji." Leo agrees as the six duel students get ready for their next matches.

"What do you want Sawatari?" Reiji answers in private where no one else can hear him.

"Hey, Akaba what gives? I thought us LDS members would be the first to get fusion summoning when you released it publically?" Sawatari says.

"What are you talking about?"

"Today I ran into Yuya Sakaki only he was kind of acting a little weird, but he was definitely Yuya Sakaki. Anyways, he had this friend of his who could use fusion summoning."

"Wait what did you say?"

"You heard me. Heck, I don't think the monster he brought out was any of the fusion monsters LDS trained with. Anyways, why are people who aren't me getting these good cards so early?" 

"When and where did this happen and do you know where they are?"

"Uh, it happened like twenty minutes ago or so I guess on the docks. The guy who used fusion summoning was asking me all these questions like where they currently are and for any place they could stay. But back to the topic at hand, how come I don't have any fusion monsters now?"

" _Yuya should've been with his family and friends to head over here around that time so he couldn't have been there given the time of events. Plus someone outside of LDS who can use fusion summoning. I need to look into that."_ Reiji thinks to himself.

"Hello. The great Sawatari to Akaba. Answer me." Sawatari pesters

"Thank you for the information on this Sawatari. I'll be sure to reward you later." Reiji says.

 **Note: Sigh. This is not easy to say. Before I say anything, I just want everyone to know that I'm greatful to every one who reads, favorites, follows, and/or reviews this story. I know a number of you enjoy it and those of you who don't, well thanks for knowing what the go back button on the top-right screen does. It really does surprise me that people really like this and I'm even more surprised that people are offering their own ideas for the fic such as Loveglutton, real-life-pine-tree (who I think may be the fanfiction user HiroLemonFan), and Romadrox (I haven't used any of the OC cards they offered yet but I had plans to).**

 **Anyways, I don't know how much longer I'll be able to continue writing this fanfiction or if I'll ever finish it. The reason is because I have cancer and recently I found out that my options have dried up. After much thought, I've decided to stop my treatments and live as much as I can before I die. Only have months left to live. This is not a decision I make likely and it's one I pray no one has to ever face. I will continue to write this fic for as long as I am capable of because I do enjoy writing it. However, I'll also be putting this fanfic up for adoption if anyone wants to complete it. I have ideas for the story, many I was looking forward to, and I don't mind sharing what I planned. Though some things I'll admit I'm stuck on and did plan to discuss with others if they were interested in helping with my writers block.**

 **That's all I wanted to say. I'll try to keep you guys inform a bit more on my health. Until then I leave you with this.**

 **I fought the good fight. I have finished the race. I have kept the faith. – 2 Tim. 4:7.**


	9. Yuya, the Entertainment Duelist

The next day, Serena's group finally reaches You Show Duel School to see that this time it is open. Unlike the castle Academy was built from, You Show appears more like a funhouse given its bright colors and a number of features that seemed with playing around built in mind. Though given the description Dennis and Sora gave about how it teaches entertaining duels, the design makes a little more since to the fusion residents.

"Wow. This place looks so much fun." Sora gleams from seeing the school.

"It looks like a daycare center." Serena snides.

"Remember guys, we're just here to see this Yuya kid and hopefully get any kind of lead on Yuri." Asuka reminds them.

"I thought a look-a-like of him who knows pendulum summoning would be enough to lure him to this place but now that I'm seeing it myself, I'm pretty sure Yuri would avoid this place like the plague." Serena responses.

While they talk, Shuzo notices the four and goes to them assuming they're here to sign up. "Excuse me. Welcome to You Show Duel School. One of the best schools in Maiami City so I'm assuming you four are here to sign, huh, Yuzu?"

All four get confused when Shuzo looks at Serena and starts calling her Yuzu.

"Are you talking to me?" Serena points to herself perplexed by the situation.

"Yuzu, I thought you wanted the day off so you and Gon can spend time with those three LDS students? Did your lessons end earlier?" Shuzo asks.

"Wait hang on mister. My name is Serena. Who's this Yuzu girl you're talking about?" Serena points out. After getting a good look at her, Shuzo realizes that she's not his daughter.

"Oh sorry miss. It's just you look the spitting image of my daughter even the bracelet you're wearing looks like the one she's had ever since she was born."

"Huh? I don't believe you."

"No really it's true. See." Shuzo pulls out a picture of him with a young Yuzu, about around mid-elementary. The Academy students are shocked that his daughter really does look like Serena and even has a similar bracelet. Asuka herself feels like she's seeing Serena again when they first met four years ago.

"Whoa that's spooky." Dennis notes.

"Does that mean that there are different versions of us here running around with different hairstyles?" Sora says under his breath.

"That certainly is odd. Actually a mister, we don't know if we will sign up as students since well as you can tell by our uniforms, we already belong to school, but if it's not too much trouble could you let us see Yuya Sakaki personally?" Asuka talks in order to get to their objective.

"Sure. He should be showing off some of his entertainment dueling around here and should have some time to talk. I'll take you to him. By the way, my name is Shuzo Hiragi in case you need me for anything or think about signing up." Shuzo leads them to where Yuya is.

"Hey out of curiosity." Serena speaks up. "Where's your daughter? This Yuzu girl."

"Well to put a long story short being her stubborn self as usual."

At the LDS school, Yuzu and Gongenzaka stand in front of Hakuto, Masumi, and Yaiba. There's an intense feeling in the air until Yuzu and Gongenzaka get on their hands and feet.

"Please teach us your summoning methods."

"Well I didn't see that coming. I thought you two would want a rematch with all of us." Yaiba says stunned referring to how yesterday all three LDS students defeat both Yuzu and Gongenzaka.

"You know these methods will be made public soon. Why don't you wait until the Leo Corporation releases them and learn from your own schools?" Masumi states.

"We thought about it but by the two of us can't accept it." Gongenzaka says.

"We're not sure how long it'll take before they come out and even then many teachers will also be new to them to really teach them." Yuzu says. "Gon and I came to the decision that things are changing quickly with dueling. Yuya has pendulum summoning and you guys have your own summoning methods so it feels like we're getting left behind each day."

"Therefore, we want to evolve as soon as possible so that we can continue to stand on the same level as our friends and rivals. So we want to learn from the experts right now." Gongenzaka explains.

"Well we don't blame you. After all not many can stand as high up as us. Though I wonder if you're even worthy of learning xyz summoning?" Hakuto boasts.

"Actually, I the man Gongenzaka, want to learn strictly synchro summoning right now so I can perfect it before trying something else." Gongenzaka blantantly says wounding Hakuto's pride.

"And while I want to learn xyz later, I want to try fusion first." Yuzu says further hurting the constellation boy.

"Guess you weren't that impressive Hakuto since you lost to Yuya in the first match." Masumi mocks.

"Didn't we also lose against Yuya in our matches too yesterday?" Yaiba reminds her.

"Whatever. Fine we'll teach you two. Just so we can have some more rivals to polish our skills." Masumi agrees making the two happy.

Back at You Show, the four Academy students were pretty surprised about how hearing xyz and synchro summoning and those plus fusion will be coming soon and taught. Some felt skeptical that the fusion summoning will be anything like what they were taught. Shuzo takes them over to an action field where Yuya is dueling in what looks like a big fancy kitchen. He's against a student from a rival student named Michio and just won the match. The two shake for good sportsmanship as the action field disappears. As Yuya leaves to greet the younger students who were watching, he notices the Academy students or more specifically Serena.

"Yuzu. You're back early. Good thing too because things are getting busy and I could really use your's and Gongenzaka's help." Yuya tearfully from exhaustion goes up grabbing Serena. Serena gets irritated by this and punches Yuya right on the head.

"I'm not Yuzu! My name is Serena and I've came looking for you Yuya Sakaki!"

"Really? You mean like for a duel or something?" Yuya guesses.

"Actually the thing is-." Serena explains but then gets cut off by Yuya.

"That's great! I don't mind giving any one a duel even if they're an outsider. Come on and step into the action field." Yuya drags her inside the action field then whispers to her through his teeth. "Please accept this. We got a crowd and if I'm not dueling that means I have to do actual teaching."

"Why is that a bad thing?"

Yuya blushes a bit. "Well I kind of sort of suck at explaining things. Really I'm more of the guy who prefers to show what happens than explain the whole process. Yuzu and Gongenzaka tend to handle that for me but they aren't here. So please let me duel you so I don't have to teach."

Serena just grins. "You know what I will."

"You will?"

"Of course. Like you, I rather see it done than learn plus well, I'll explain later, but I want to see how you're dueling differs from my rivals especially in how you both use pendulum summoning."

"How we both use pendulum summoning? I don't know what you mean by that but let's enjoy the show."

Both put on their duel disc, and after quickly noticing how different they are, Yuya starts announcing in his showman attitude. "Ladies and gentlemen! Before we begin this action duel with the newcomer Serena, I think it's only fitting I let her pick the field we'll be dueling in."

"Oh boy, we get to see an actual Action Duel." Dennis cheers.

"Huh, you guys haven't seen an Action Duel before?" A young blue haired boy asks them.

"No, but we're hoping they're half as good as everyone's been saying they are." Sora says.

"Oh yeah they're the greatest thing ever." A little cute girl with red hair says.

"Especially Big Brother's Yuya's they give me the shivers." A large blonde boy says.

"Well this should be worth the trip." Asuka says.

"So Serena do you have a specific field in mind or a theme like something to compliment your deck for example?" Yuya asks Serena who's just wondering what any of this has to do with anything.

"I don't know. Maybe a dark jungle or something." Serena says instinctively picking it possibly it combines her dark beast-warrior deck with Yuri's dark plant deck.

"Very well. Then activating the Action Field Jungle Nighttime." Yuya activates the Real Solid Vision generator from his duel disc and the entire field become nighttime and covered in thick trees and foliage.

"Duelist locked in battle!" Yuya chants which just confuses Serena. Yuya notices this and stops showboating for a bit. "I'm guessing you don't know the chant? Hey can I get some help from the audience?"

"Kicking the earth and dancing alongside their monsters!" Ayu joins in.

"They swarm through the field!" Futoshi continues.

"Behold! This is the newest and greatest evolution of dueling!" Tatsuya finishes up.

"Action!" Yuya shouts as the action cards fly.

"Duel!"

Yuya: 4000 life points. Hand: 5.

Serena: 4000 life points. Hand: 5.

"I'll go first. I summon Performapal Hip Hippo and since I summoned a Performapal monster, I get to special summon Performapal Helpprincess." Yuya starts summoning his two monsters.

Performapal Hip Hippo. Level: 3. Earth. Beast/Effect. Attack: 800. Defense: 800.

Performapal Helpprincess. Level: 4. Dark. Warrior/Effect. Attack: 1200. Defense: 1200.

" _He looks like Yuri but his monsters are about the complete opposite of what Ruri uses appearance wise. Now to see how he duels."_ Serena watches and analyzes.

"Since Hip Hippo was just normal summoned, I can perform another normal summon this turn for the tribute summon of a level 7 or higher monster. So I sacrifice my two performers to bring out the main attraction. Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon!"

Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon. Level: 7. Dark. Dragon/Pendulum/Effect. Attack: 2500. Defense: 2000. Scale: 4.

"I set a card and end my turn." Yuya jumps on Odd-Eyes and starts moving through the dim lush jungle amazing Serena that he can actually ride that thing around. Remembering she's in the middle of a duel, she shakes the feeling of amazement off so she can get serious.

"My turn. Draw. First, I discard Lunalight Black Sheep from my hand to add Lunalight White Rabbit from my deck to my hand. I summon her and through her effect, I special summon my sheep back from the graveyard."

Lunalight White Rabbit. Level: 2. Dark. Beast-Warrior/Effect. Attack: 800. Defense: 800.

Lunalight Black Sheep. Level: 2. Dark. Beast-Warrior/Effect. Attack: 100. Defense: 600.

"I also activate Lunalight White Rabbit's other effect. Once per turn, I can destroy magic and trap cards on your field up to the number of Lunalight monsters I control so I destroy your face down card." Her rabbit swings its hammer down and the shockwave destroys Yuya's set card.

"Now I play Polymerization." Serena holds up the magic card.

"Wait a minute! You're a fusion user!?" Yuya startling shouts.

"Unlike here, where I'm from, everyone can fusion summon. The lively white rabbit illuminated by moonlight! The beast lurking in jet-black darkness! Swarm in the vortex of the moon's gravity and revive with new power! Fusion summon! Level 6! Lunalight Cat Dancer!"

Lunalight Cat Dancer. Level: 7. Dark. Beast-Warrior/Fusion/Effect. Attack: 2400. Defense: 2000.

Serena returns White Rabbit back to her hand thanks to Black Sheep's effect. Cat Dancer attacks Odd-Eyes with Serena discarding Lunalight Purple Butterfly from her hand so her monster's attack can go up by a 1000 points. In addition to the 100 points of damage Cat Dancer inflicts when she attacks, Serena's signature monster destroys Yuya's respective signature monster dealing a thousand damage total. Yuya was able to jump off of Odd-Eyes onto a branch while grabbing an action card.

Yuya: 3000 life points. Hand: 2.

"Action Magic Jungle Magic! I can activate one magic card from my graveyard that was sent to the graveyard this turn. The card I pick is Illusion Balloons." Yuya says. Once again the Academy students get surprised at seeing something new like the action cards.

Illusion Balloons reveals the top five cards of Yuya's deck and amongst them, he picks Performapal Monkeyboard to summon in defense mode.

Performapal Monkeyboard. Level: 6. Earth. Beast/Pendulum/Effect. Attack: 1000. Defense: 2400. Scale: 1.

"I don't know what you're game is but I set two cards face down and end my turn." Serena says.

"My game is to entertain. Which I'll show by drawing a card. Ok, with Scale 6, Performapal Lizardraw, and Scale 6, Performapal Guitartle, I set the pendulum scale."

Yuya's scales: 6-6.

"Are you making fun of me?!" Serena shouts in pure rage.

"Eh?" Yuya nervously yelps.

"Two pendulum cards with the same scale. You can't summon anything with those. I swear if you aren't taking this duel even the slightest bit serious, I'll stop right now and giving you a thrashing." Serena fumes.

"It's not that she looks like Yuzu. She even talks like her. I better make this show super grand then or it may be my last." Yuya says to himself before returning to the duel. "Ahem. I know this doesn't look the most impressive of scenarios but I promise you this, the fun has just begun. First, since I played a Performapal card in my other pendulum zone, Guitartle let's me draw a card then I destroy Lizardraw so I can draw another card. Now I play the magic card Changing Pendulum to swap one pendulum card in my pendulum zone with a pendulum card in my monster zone so Monkeyboard and Guitartle trade places and in the empty pendulum zone, I set Scale 7, Performapal Mononcarpet."

Yuya's scales: 1-7.

Performapal Guitartle. Level: 1. Water. Aqua/Pendulum/Effect. Attack: 300. Defense: 400. Scale: 6.

"Well he now has more reasonable scales now." Asuka comments.

"Now Serena won't kill him." Sora remarks.

"Since I have a Performapal monster in my other pendulum zone, I can use Monkeyboard's pendulum effect to add Performapal Coin Dragon from my deck to my hand and I activate Performapal Guitartle's effect to increase Performapal Momoncarpet's pendulum scale by 2 until the end of the turn."

Yuya's scales: 1-9.

"Now that everything is properly set up, I pendulum summon! Come forth my monsters! Level 4 Performapal Coin Dragon! Level 3 Performapal Lizardraw! And returning to the stage with his dichromatic eyes, level 7, Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon!"

Performapal Coin Dragon. Level: 4. Water. Dragon/Pendulum/Effect. Attack: 1700. Defense: 1000. Scale: 5.

Performapal Lizardraw. Level: 3. Earth. Reptile/Pendulum/Effect. Attack: 1200. Defense: 600. Scale: 6.

Coin Dragon's effect activates to boost Odd-Eyes' attack by 500 and make it so that it can't be destroyed by card effects. With the boost, Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon goes and attacks Lunalight Cat Dancer with its effect doubling the damage.

Serena: 2800 life points. Hand: 2.

However, Lunalight Cat Dancer can't be destroyed by battle so it remains on the field, but Serena gets back at Yuya by activating her trap Lunalight's Revenge. Since she can't target Odd-Eyes, she instead uses its effect to destroy Peformapal Coin Dragon thus removing the buff Odd-Eyes just got. However, this activates Lizardraw's effect for Yuya to draw a card for each Performapal he currently controls so he draws two cards. Yuya ends his turn and starts running around the jungle landscape to get an action card something that seems hard given that Serena picked a place that's very dark and crowded that's giving him an unintentional disadvantage.

" _He's not Yuri in anyway, but I'll say this, this duel isn't predictable. And I'm actually having fun. Let's see how you can handle this."_ Serena thinks to herself before she starts her turn. "My turn. Draw. First I summon my Lunalight White Rabbit again and I use her effect to not only bring back Lunalight Purple Butterfly but to destroy your two pendulum cards."

Lunalight Purple Butterfly. Level: 3. Dark. Beast-Warrior/Effect. Attack: 1000. Defense: 1000.

Yuya's surprised she knows practically all the secrets of pendulum summoning, but snaps out of it when he grabs an action card. "Action Magic Dark Enchantment! This turn all of my magic and trap cards can't be destroyed!"

"Grr. Those cards give him such a convenient edge. Very well then I play my second copy of Polymerization to fuse Lunalight Cat Dancer with Lunalight White Rabbit! The beautiful beast dancing under the moonlight! The lively white rabbit illuminated by moonlight! Swarm in the vortex of the moon's gravity and become a new power! Fusion summon! Level 8! Lunalight Panther Dancer!"

Lunalight Panther Dancer. Level: 8. Dark. Beast-Warrior/Fusion/Effect. Attack: 2800. Defense: 2500.

"Wait! I didn't know you could perform a fusion with other fusion monsters?" Yuya gasps.

"Looks like the fusion summoning of this place will be very by-the-books then?" Serena mockingly says. "First things first, I sacrifice Purple Butterfly so that Lunalight Panther Dancer can gain 1000 attack points this turn."

When her butterfly disappears, her dancing beast becomes stronger but Yuya jumps and activates another action card. "Action Magic Reset! Your monster's attack return back to normal."

"Stop using those stupid cards!" Serena complains. Yuya lands on the ground and grabs another action card but Serena notices that Yuya stopped smiling and looks concerned.

" _What's going on? He looks like he's in a bind."_ Serena thinks to herself.

"Hey did something happen. That Yuya kid got another one of those cards but he's not happy about it?" Asuka asks out loud.

"He probably grabbed an action card he can't use." Shuzo shows up to explain.

"So did he get a dud or something?" Dennis asks.

"Action cards are random and while they can help a duelist out greatly. They can also hinder them. You see each duelist is only aloud one action card in their hand at most at all time. If you grab a card that doesn't benefit the situation you're in then you either have to find a way to get rid of it or wait for the opportunity to use it so that you can get another. Looks like Yuya got one that can't help him."

The card Yuya grabbed is Action Magic Acceleration, a card that negates effect damage. From what Yuya has seen of Serena's fighting style, it's clear that effect damage isn't preferred method of dueling. As Yuya's stuck with the dead card, Serena goes on the offensive since she still has the stronger monster. Lunalight Panther Dancer first attacks Odd-Eyes. While Performapal Momoncarpet's pendulum effect halves all battle damage Yuya would take the fact that Panther Dancer attacks each monster twice makes that effect moot.

Yuya: 2700 life points. Hand: 3.

Odd-Eyes gets destroyed and Panther Dancer gains 200 attack for destroying a monster, though Yuya does get to use Lizardraw's effect to draw two cards. Then Panther Dancer goes after Guitartle. Yuya's takes nothing since the monster was in defense mode but Panther Dancer's attack goes up again to 3200. The moon-themed predator sets its sights on Lizardraw and since it is in attack mode, Yuya takes considerable damage from the panther's double attack. Panther Dancer's attack then returns to normal after the battle phase.

Yuya: 800 life points. Hand: 5.

"I'll give you this much Yuya Sakaki. You're nothing like Yuri but I'll openly admit, I enjoy dueling you just as much as him. I set a card and end my turn." Serena happily confesses.

"Thanks very much Serena. I actually hope to meet this Yuri guy if he's that good. Now then I draw!" Yuya says as he draws his card to form a bright arc.

" _My facedown cards are Breakthrough Skill and Sakuretsu Armor. If he brings something out with a dangerous effect or if he gets a monster than can take out Panther Dancer, I'll be ready."_ Serena thinks to herself.

"First I use Monkeyboard's effect to add Performapal Fireflux from my deck to hand then I play Pendulum Shift. I pick a number from 1 to 10 and make a pendulum card's scale become that until the end of the turn. I make Performapal Momoncarpet's scale 10 and with this I can simultaneously summon monsters with levels 2 to 9. Pendulum summon! Come forth my monsters. Performapal Coin Dragon, Performapal Partnaga, Performapal Fireflux, Performapal Drumerilla, and Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon!"

Yuya's scales: 1-10.

Performapal Partnaga. Level: 5. Earth. Reptile/Pendulum/Effect. Attack: 500. Defense: 2100. Scale: 3.

Performapal Drummerilla. Level: 5. Earth. Beast/Pendulum/Effect. Attack: 1600. Defense: 900. Scale: 2.

Performapal Fireflux. Level: 4. Light. Insect/Pendulum/Effect. Attack: 1200. Defense: 1600. Scale: 5

"Trap activate! Breakthrough Skill! With this card I negate your Performapal Coin Dragon's effect so your Odd-Eyes won't get its attack increased or protection." Serena says weakening Coin Dragon.

"That's fine by me." Yuya nonchalantly says surprising her.

"You see when Coin Dragon was merely a misdirection for the real trick that I'm about to pull. First, since Partnaga was summoned, I can make a monster I control gain 300 attack points for each Performapal monster I control. So Odd-Eyes gains 1200 attack since I currently have four." Partnaga coils a sparking energy around Odd-Eyes strengthening the dragon.

Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon. Attack: 3700.

"Now Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon attack Lunalight Panther Dancer! Spiral Flame Strike! At this point both Drummerilla and Fireflux's effects kick in. Drummerilla increases Odd-Eyes' attack by another 600 attack points and Fireflux makes it so that you can't activate any magic or trap cards when he attacks. And remember when Odd-Eyes does damage, it's double so Reaction Burst!"

Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon. Attack: 4300.

Odd-Eyes' orbs start shining as the energy coil around it mixes with the dragon's spinning fire attack. The loud beating of Drummerilla's chest/drum makes the whole thing feel even more intense as Fireflux flies up to shine a bright spotlight on Odd-Eyes. The stunning attack hits and destroys Panther Dancer and Serena. A screen appears that shows Yuya is the winner and the action field fades.

Serena: 0 life points. Hand: 1. Yuya wins.

"So that's entertaining duels." Dennis says.

"And that's what Action Duels look like." Sora adds.

"And that's the guy who looks just like Yuri." Asuka includes all three amazed by what they saw.

Yuya approaches Serena as she gets up. "So what did you think?"

"I think that if I weren't busy looking for my friend, I'd want a rematch with you right now." Serena smirks.

Elsewhere in Standard in a motel, Austin and Yuri are eating a late breakfast while thinking about the stuff they learned from Sawatari. Yuri could care less about the current events of the dimension they're in but what piqued his interest was Yuya Sakaki. Sawatari told them everything he knew about Yuya, though he kept adding parts about how he'll beat him. Knowing that the guy looks like him and can use pendulum too. He wants to see the guy very much and for some strange reason, he feels that Starving Venom wants to meet him as well.

Xyz Dimension.

Its nighttime at Heartland and while the whole place looks quite beautiful lit up. One family is inside doing their own thing. The Arclight family, one of the most successful families in the city, are at home enjoying themselves. Well most of them. Thomas is grumbling while arranging his deck.

"I don't know what's more frustrating. The fact that they still consider that duel null and void or that the Yuto kid's deck is becoming the new fanservice of Heartland." Thomas complains to himself.

"Are you still hung up on that brother? Come on, it's been days since you lost to Yuto." Michael says as he plays with their dog.

"Let him grumble Michael. At least this way Thomas can actually advance his skills since things are starting to become more challenging now." Chris, the oldest brother, says as he walks in.

"What are you talking about, Chris?" Thomas says.

"I recently talked to Dr. Faker when I went to him today to check in on a part he was making for dad's project. Turns out his son Kaito and the Spade Branch Ace, Shun Kurosaki, ran into two guys who use a new summoning method too."

"Really they do?" Michael asks.

"Yeah. The strangest thing was that one of them not only used pendulum summoning like that Yuto Osaku kid you dueled, but he looks like him too and was on a strange motorcycle as well." Chris explains ticking Thomas off even further.

"What! What is that Yuto kid's deal?! It's bad enough that he showed me up but now he's adding cooler and flashier stuff like another summoning method and a motorcycle!"

"It wasn't him. At least that's what Kaito said. According to Yuto Osaku's friends, he disappeared and the actual Yuto showed up moments later." Chris informs him.

"Someone who looks like someone else?" Michael says to himself.

"Is there something you want to say Michael?" Chris asks.

"No, no. Just thinking about how earlier today, I met this girl who's from out of town and I think she reminded me of Shun Kurosaki's little sister. I don't know, I'm not that familiar with her to really tell so it's probably nothing."

"Anyways, father and I are going to do some tests on the Arclight Gate so Michael, try to make sure Thomas doesn't burst himself into flames while we're working." Chris jokingly says.

"Will do Chris."

Meanwhile, Yugo drives out a bit on his D-Wheel when he encounters Yuto, who is standing ready with a pair of the prototype rollerboots Allen made. Rin took Michael's advice and had taken Crow and Yugo to the shelter he suggested where they decided to stay since it actually has free food and bedding for the homeless residents. It seemed like a good idea at the time, but they a Spade Branch girl noticed Rin and Yugo and thought they were Ruri and Yuto. When she called up Ruri, the two kind of know each other enough to have their phone numbers, Ruri informed Yuto.

Wanting answers and because Dark Rebellion keeps crying out about the situation, Yuto put on a long black coat and left home to head to the shelter to confront his doppelganger. True his mom will scold him till he's twenty for leaving like this, though he did leave a note, but the whole thing with Yugo is just eating him alive. What he didn't except was Yugo also ready for him since Clear Wing also keeps calling out to see Yuto.

The two now stare off at one another ready for anything.

"Hey buddy, how come you look like?" Yugo shouts as he takes off his helmet.

"My friends were right. You do look like me." Yuto says.

"Hey I asked you a question. Also are you the reason Clear Wing is acting up the way she is?"

"Clear Wing? Who's that?"

"My dragon Mr. shady man." Yugo responds referring to Yuto's attire and long black jacket.

"It's called fashion. Then again I get the feeling that we're going to be disagreeing with a lot of stuff given your primary color choice." Yuto notes Yugo's mainly white D-Wheel and riding suit. "Never mind that. My name is Yuto Osaku, a student of Heartland's Spade Branch and just like you, I have a dragon as well. One who seems to keep calling out to either you or the one you have."

"Really. Wow that's weird. Anyways I'm Yugo." Yugo introduces himself.

"You're name is Fusion?"

"It's Yugo! Not Fusion! Get it right!"

"Sorry. I just want to know who you are, where you're from, what you're doing here, and why do you not just look like me but know pendulum summoning too."

"You're demanding a whole lot from a guy I just met. I'm not going to tell you everything since you could use any of that against me, but if you must know, I'm from the City and I after Rin and I win the Friendship Cup, I plan on becoming the next King there."

"The City? What city? What's its real name?"

"I don't know." Yugo shrugs.

"What do you mean you don't know? How can an idiot not know the name of where they're from?" Yuto starts getting more irritated with Yugo.

"Hey don't insult me. Besides I don't know because I don't know. I've only heard the City's real name once or twice in my life and forgot it. Then again no one bothers remembering the name because the Commons have no way of leaving it and the Tops are so deep in control of the place that they don't want to sacrifice a comfortable life leaving the place either."

"Sounds like you live a rough life, but that doesn't excuse you for wrecking up my city and then running." Yuto responds.

"Hey I'm not getting a ticket just because your trashcans are alive!" Yugo shouts back. This leads to them both glaring at one another. Soon a sharp pain hits both of them and they can hear their respective dragons roaring for a fight.

"Everything about you makes no sense, but if there's one thing Heartland teaches us is that duels can at times provide the answers one seeks. So let's see if I can find out more about you through one." Yuto activates his duel disc.

"Now you're speaking my language." Yuto activates the duel mode of his D-Wheel.

"Duel!"

 **OC Cards**

Jungle Magic. Action Magic.

Activate a magic card from your graveyard that was sent there this turn.

Changing Pendulum. Quick-Play Magic.

Target a pendulum card in your pendulum zone and a pendulum card in your monster zone: special summon the target in your pendulum zone onto your monster zone and set the other target onto your pendulum zone.

Lunalight's Revenge. Normal Trap.

Activate after an opponent's monster attacks a Lunalight monster you control and deals damage. Destroy a monster your opponent controls.

Dark Enchantment. Action Magic.

Magic and trap cards you control can't be destroyed by card effects this turn.

Reset. Action Magic.

Target a monster who's current attack is different from its original attack. Return the target's attack points back to its original attack points.

 **Notes: First off I want to say thank you for those who showed concern for my unfortunate health situation. It really means a lot to me. As for those of you who think I need to stop worrying about this fic and go enjoy myself, trust me I have been enjoying myself. This weekend I went to Las Vegas with my family and had a blast. (I got to meet one of the Blue Man Group members and considering my white hair and that my little sister was wearing a Pikachu portable charger, it may have been the closest I got to live in an anime).**

 **I have found a couple of people, HiroLemonFan and LoveGlutton, who have offered to continue this story for me. I've already sent them a list of ideas I wanted to include in future chapters and will also plan on sending some other ideas that I think about like OC cards. I'm going to have to get in touch with them about handling how continuing this story will go. I do fully admit that wanted to write a few more chapters before I turned the reigns over to them since there are stuff I wanted to write myself for the story, but I also there are some other stuff I want to do including some personal projects to get done and other real life stuff that I may not. This is really one of those wait and see deals.**

 **On less serious subject matters and the chapter itself, I had a lot of fun with writing out Yuya and Serena's duel mainly because I didn't use any pendulum magicians. I don't hate them but having Yuya primarily use Performapals with Odd-Eyes really made things feel exciting. I kind of feel that Yuya would be better at utilizing pendulum summoning than his other counterparts since they would lean more in using the summoning method of their respective dimension while pendulum acted as support to that method rather than trying to master it on his level.**

 **There's also the thing about Serena using generic cards like Sakuretsu Armor in her duel. In my opinion while fanfiction has no rules (artistically that is since you have to follow the guidelines of the site your publishing the fic on and you can't claim ownership of the franchise the fic is based off of), I do feel that generic cards anyone can use should follow some narrative rules. First, the super good ones like Pot of Greed, Raigeki, Mirror Force and all that should be used scarcely. Like brought up once or twice and if so have it be for a good plot reason like how in chapter two I had Thomas use Negate Attack but only to show how very powerful Yuto's pendulum cards were when compared to it. Second, they should match the playing style of the character using them. Serena having a Sakuretsu Armor works since she focuses on direct battles with her monsters. Not so much for Yuya who wants to entertain and use fun tricks.**


	10. We Will Become One

Yuto: 4000 life points. Hand: 5.

Yugo: 4000 life points. Hand: 5.

"I'll start things off." Yuto says as he grabs three copies of The Phantom Knight's of Shadow Veil from his hand. "I set these three cards face down then I play Goblin's Clearance Sell. This destroys every magic and trap card I control and I get a draw a card for each one destroyed plus one. Now with Scale 5, The Phantom Knights of War-Torn Bags, and Scale 2, The Phantom Knights of Dark Uniform, I set the pendulum scale!"

The pillars of light appear and rising from them includes a black and purple general's uniform with plumes of blue fire coming from the openings over a 2 and the other a figure of blue flames in old traveler's garbs carrying bags.

Yuto's scales: 2-5.

Yuto activates the pendulum effect of War-Torn Bags to discard a card so he can add a The Phantom Knights card from his deck to his hand. He then pendulum summons The Phantom Knights of Fragile Armor and The Phantom Knights of Mysterious Knapsack, a man made of blue flames carrying on his back a large torn up backpack.

The Phantom Knights of Fragile Armor. Level: 4. Dark. Warrior/Effect. Attack: 1000. Defense: 2000.

The Phantom Knights of Mysterious Knapsack. Level: 4. Dark. Warrior/Effect. Attack: 0. Defense: 1900.

"The Phantom Knights of Mysterious Knapsack can be treated as two materials if I use it to summon a dark xyz material so I overlay my two knights! Brave and noble warrior who's fallen in the pitch black night! Arise to continue serving your cause! Xyz summon! Rank 4! The Phantom Knights of Feared Morningstar!"

Yuto ends the turn the moment his heavily armored black knight riding an equally armored horse with blue flaming eyes on both. The knight is holding a silver Morningstar weapon with two purple overlay units circling.

The Phantom Knights of Feared Morningstar. Rank: 4. Dark. Warrior/Xyz/Effect. Attack: 2400. Defense: 2000. Overlay Units: 2.

"You know she can hear him?" Yugo says.

"Huh. What are you talking about now?" Yuto asks.

"My dragon. She can hear him. She knows you brought him and she wants to see him now so why didn't you bring it out? Because I'm betting it's itching to fight mine."

"So you don't just have my face but you have a dragon that can speak to you too?"

"I'd say she's my favorite girl but that means I have to choose her over Rin and that just drive me nuts."

Yuto just gives a baffled stare at his doppelganger for that remark. "You know a part of me wants to call you crazy but then I'd feel like a hypocrite since I also have a deep connection with my dragon too. Besides Dark Rebellion is pretty patient and I'm quite curious about what you can do."

"You're quite respectful. A shame I have to kick your ass." Yugo smirks before riding off for his own fun with Yuto following him on the rollerboots. "It's my turn and I draw. Since I control no cards I can play Speedraw. I draw 2 cards but I have to discard a Speedroid monster."

Yugo discards Speedroid Bright-Eyed Dice and continues by summoning the tuner monster Speedroid Den-Den Daiko Duke. Now that he controls a Speedroid monster, he can special summon Speedroid Suction Darts, which are three darts with suction cups and circular white eyes that are either blue, red, or green.

Speedroid Den-Den Daiko Duke. Level: 3. Wind. Machine/Tuner/Effect. Attack: 1000. Defense: 1000.

Speedroid Suction Darts. Level: 2. Wind. Machine/Effect. Attack: 700. Defense: 500.

"Now I tune my two Speedroid monsters! Lively soul of swordplay appear! Synchro summon! Level 5! Hi-Speedroid Chanbara! Since I used Speedroid Suction Darts to summon a Wind synchro monster, all your monsters lose 400 attack for each materials used until the end of the turn."

Hi-Speedroid Chanbara. Level: 5. Wind. Machine/Synchro/Effect. Attack: 2000. Defense: 1000.

The Phantom Knights of Feared Morningstar. Attack: 1600.

As the two duelists move on their selected mode of transport, their monsters also move alongside them with Feared Morningstar galloping right next to Yuto like the knight it is while Chanbara's blade body cuts through the air next to Yugo. Yugo orders Chanbara to attack and its effect activates to boost its attack by 200. However, Yuto removes an overlay unit so he can activate Feared Morningstar's effect to negate one attack involving it and the opposing monster permanently loses attack equal to the number of Phantom Knights magic/trap cards in his grave and/or banished times 200. Yuto currently has 4 so Feared Morningstar swings its weapon to stop the attack and weaken Yugo's monster by 800 points. Since Yugo's monster is now weaker, he sets a card and ends his turn. This causes Feared Morningstar's attack to return to normal now.

Hi-Speedroid Chanbara. Attack: 1400.

The Phantom Knights of Feared Morningstar. Attack: 2400.

Over at the Kurosaki household, Ruri is spending her time putting her deck together as well as her brother. She hands it over for him to double check it.

"Well?" Ruri asks.

"Looks good, but I don't know if I want you going up against those guys?" Shun says in concern.

"Will you stop worrying about me, Shun. Besides those guys don't use xyz cards like everyone else so if I do wind up dueling one of them, it's best I get rid of all the anti-xyz cards from my deck so I can be ready. I mean Kaito recommended Allen and Sayaka do the same."

"I know what he said. Though I'll admit I think getting rid of those cards actually improved your deck, I mean a number of your losses do come from the other students using cards that affect rank and overlay units."

"Thank you for overlooking them big brother." Ruri smiles.

"Sure. Now go to sleep, it's getting late."

When Ruri gets in her room, she's about to get ready for bedtime. However, before she starts, her bracelet starts blinking yellow. When she notices it some kind of gut instinct kicks in that says that Yuto is in trouble.

"Hey Ruri." Shun knocks on her door. "Are you decent cause I found some a couple of good cards you could considering using. Ruri?"

After moments of silence, Shun starts feeling worried and opens her door only to find her room empty. The only difference is that her windows open and her running boots are missing. When he looks out the window, he sees his little sister running off to where the yellow light is guiding her. This wasn't the first time Ruri snuck out of the house, but she was usually discreet about it. Shun calls out for her to comeback. When she wouldn't, his big brother instincts take over and he hastily grabs a coat and good shoes and chases after her while calling out to her.

No matter how much the Raidraptor duelist yells for her, Ruri keeps moving to where the bracelet leads her.

At the shelter, Rin and Crow are asleep in the beds provided for them. Crow is. Rin woke up in the middle of the night to use the bathroom. As she washes her hands and face, her bracelet also starts blinking a green light.

"What? When could you do this?" Rin groggily asks the accessory. However, she quickly enters a panic when something inside understands what it meant. "Yugo!"

Rin quickly leaves, grabs her duel disc and jacket and runs outside to look for her him with the bracelet acting as her guide. This wakes up Crow who rubs his eyes and as he looks around the area he sees that not only is Rin running off somewhere, but he also found that Yugo and Rin's D-Wheel is gone.

"What are those kids thinking? And Shinji says I'm the most reckless Commons in the City." Crow gets his D-Wheel ready since he figures it's quicker to get them this way and out of trouble and he rides off trying to find Rin's trail.

At the Arclight household, Chris Arclight and his father Byron Arclight finish setting things up to test their invention.

"This is truly exciting father." Chris says.

"Very much Chris. Though try hold off your excitement for long. The Arclight Gate full abilities have yet to be scratch yet. Where or even when it'll send anyone, who or what it works on, are still unknowns." Byron says referring to a large golden disc pointed up to the sky that's held by four special advance pillars that stabilizing and feed it power in their open topped lab

"I'm aware father. After all it's not like we're going to see something big on the first few tests today."

Back over at the duel

"My turn! Draw!" Yugo says as he draws a pendulum card. "With Scale 1, Speedroid Carddragonfly, and Scale 5, Speedroid Boostinggrabber, I set the pendulum scale!" Yugo's pendulum scales appear with Carddragonfly and white and green mechanical box with a white claw attached to a crane over a 5 appear.

Yugo's scales: 1-5.

"So you really can pendulum summon too." Yuto comments.

"Yeah but I'm not going to do that this turn. Instead, I'll activate Speedroid Boostinggrabber's pendulum effect. Once per turn, I can special summon a tuner monster from my graveyard if its level is between my pendulum scales, but it'll be banished when it leaves the field. In addition, after the monster is summoned, I can increase its level by 1 for each Speedroid monster I control. Claw Crane! I summon back Speedroid Den-Den Daiko Duke and increase it's level by 2."

Speedroid Den-Den Daiko Duke. Level: 5.

"No more stalling, I tune my two Speedroid monster! Spread those wondrous and beautiful wings and strike down your enemies at the speed of light! Synchro summon! Level 7! Clear Wing Synchro Dragon!"

Clear Wing Synchro Dragon. Level: 7. Wind. Dragon/Synchro/Effect. Attack: 2500. Defense: 2000.

Suction Darts' effect triggers again to weaken Feared Morningstar the Yugo uses Carddragonfly's pendulum effect to banish Suction Darts since it was a non-tuner used to summon Clear Wing and boost the dragon by its attack.

Clear Wing Synchro Dragon. Attack: 3200.

The Phantom Knights of Feared Morningstar. Attack: 1600.

Clear Wing flies up and starts doing a spinning nose dive at Yuto's knight to destroy it. Yuto removes the last overlay unit to activate Feared Morningstar's effect but Yugo just activates Clear Wing's effect to negate, destroy, and become even more powerful by gaining Feared Morningstar's original attack to her own.

Clear Wing Synchro Dragon. Attack: 5600.

Yugo feels confident that he'll win in a one turn kill, but Yuto has one more surprised. "When my opponent attacks me directly, I can summon The Phantom Knights of Shadow Veil as a monster and I choose to do so with all three in my graveyard!"

"Wait what?" Yugo shouts from surprise as three ghostly knights appear in defense mode.

The Phantom Knights of Shadow Veil. Level: 4. Dark. Warrior/Normal. Attack: 0. Defense: 300.

"Fine then I'll attack the one in the middle!" Yugo says as his dragon destroys one. "I end my turn there and Clear Wing Synchro Dragon's attack returns to normal."

"My turn and I draw." Yuto draws as he hears his dragon cry out to him. "You said your dragon wants to meet mind. Well then since you already brought yours out, it's only fair I do the same. I overlay my level 4 knights! Formed from pitch-black darkness to fight those foolish enough to oppose it with its treacherous fangs! Xyz summon! Rank 4! Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon!"

Dark Rebellion Xyz Dragon. Rank: 4. Dark. Dragon/Xyz/Effect. Attack: 2500. Defense: 2000.

When both dragons notice each other, they let out loud roars that cause immediate pain in both Yuto and Yugo. This also causes Rin and Ruri's bracelets to blink fanatically as they try running faster to look for their respective male counterpart. At the Arclight household, the Arclight Gate starts acting up even though they just started the testing less than ten minutes ago.

"What's going on?" Byron wonders in bafflement.

"I don't know father." Chris answers. "According to the monitors some outside energy is affecting the gateway."

"Well obviously since these tests are meant to figure out what kind of energy or outside force can activate it. What I need to know is what is this outside force exactly?"

"That's just it father. I have no idea. None of the computers seem to recognize but appears powerful and the Arclight Gate is gathering." Chris then looks at the monitors again and sees that the increase of energy is now becoming unstable and strangely, it looks like another outside force is siphoning it away. This results in one big blast wave of light that the moment it reaches Yuto and Yugo's duel, it goes to Clear Wing and Dark Rebellion and there's a massive shine of light.

Standard Dimension.

After Serena first Action Duel, Yuya got to talk to the Academy students and was surprised they all know how to fusion summon. They didn't mention anything about the different dimensions, not yet, but they did ask for him to keep an eye out for Yuri. Even though Dennis and Sora wanted to enroll, Asuka and Serena kept shooting that down. After all the help in the class, Yuya went to pick up some stuff for his mom for dinner tonight while talking to Yuzu to hear about her time spent with Masumi.

"So how did yours and Gongenzaka's training go?" Yuya asks Yuzu.

"Surprisingly more brutal than any of us expected." Yuzu sighs. "Apparently since these three are the best LDS has to offer in each summoning method, they take the whole thing super serious. So the training felt more like a boot camp than anything."

"That's rough. No wonder I haven't seen you all day."

"It was a total waste. Reiji made Gon and I these prototype synchro and fusion monsters for us respectively to help train. Though he only gave us about two or three with some support so nothing big really."

"Hey that's good. Speaking of fusion. Today was weird. At the school these kids came in seeming interested in Action Duels since they never heard of them and one of them looked just like you." Yuya tells Yuzu.

"Heh. Are you serious?"

"Well I wouldn't say exactly. She seemed mostly like you in personality, she had your face, and always were a bracelet that looks like the one you always do, but she's not exactly the same as you."

"That does sound strang."

"Apparently they also have a friend who looks just like me too and they're looking for him so if you do see someone who looks like me but seems different, just a heads up. Anyways I got to go Yuzu."

"Ok bye Yuya." Yuzu hangs up.

"Bye." Yuya does the same.

Some time after that, Yuya walks through the park for a shortcut when some calls out his full name and when he turns to see who it is, coincidently, it's Yuri along with Austin.

"Yuya Sakaki. I've been looking for you." Yuri says.

"That face and your coat looks familiar too. Hey, are you Yuri?" Yuya asks.

"You know about me? How?"

"Earlier today your friends came to my dad's school seeing if you're were around and they told me about you. I must admit they're impressive including that Serena girl and her fusion summoning."

" _So they are here and Serena too."_ Yuri thinks to himself with growing eyes of happiness.

"Listen, I'm Austin O'Brien. I don't know how to explain the situation we or Yuri's friends are in but we have a question for you. You can use pendulum summoning right?" Austin asks.

"Yeah I can." Yuya responds. When he says that Yuri pulls out a couple of pendulum cards.

"Wait what?! How do?" Yuya becomes a loss for words.

"I'm not sure and I wonder if you could tell me how you got yours." Yuri says putting his cards away.

"To be honest they just while I was having a really tough duel. Is that how you got yours?"

"Actually yes. Thought to be honest I find your story more difficult to believe than mine."

"What do you mean?" Yuya just questions.

"Looking at you, there's just something off and kind of annoying about you. I don't hate you but we have the same face and can both use pendulum. However, there's something about you that makes me feel like one of us drew the short end of the stick." Yuri confesses. "I guess it's probably because you not only have a family but a well-beloved and famous father. You achieved love and praise from many because from what I've seen on those commercials. You seem like someone who's found genuine happiness and I feel it was given to you."

"And I'm guessing things are different?" Yuya concludes feeling sympathy for his doppelganger.

"Let's just say the moment I actually started enjoying stuff like dueling, my classes, and possibly even life never happened until I was ten." Yuri opens up.

Hearing this Yuya's heart starts breaking. What happened to this kid through out his life. He has friends who care about him but even now he feels like there's still some sadness. Yuya's entertainer nature and blood can't stand seeing someone miserable like this and he can't think of any words of encouragement, at least any that could help. However, one idea comes to his mind that he knows always works.

"A duel."

"Huh? Sorry but I don't feel interested. Actually since you met my friends, why don't you tell me where they are and we'll be off our way." Yuri refuses.

"Sorry but I refuse your refusal. Come on it'll just be quick and besides not only will it be fun and we can make it quick. Besides don't you want to duel someone who can also pendulum summon as well?" Yuya encourages him. The last remark does get his attention and he smirks.

"Ok. But only one and a quick one. I want to see Serena soon."

"What about the rest of your friends." Austin casually teases.

"Yes them too! Now stay out of this Austin!" Yuri blushes.

The two pendulum look-a-likes set things up and are now ready.

"Duel!"

Yuri: 4000 life points. Hand: 5.

Yuya: 4000 life points. Hand: 5.

"I go first." Yuri says. "First I summon Predaplant Ophrys Scorpio and I activate its effect by discarding Predaplant Cordyceps to special summon from my deck Predaplant Darlingtonia Cobra."

Predaplant Ophrys Scorpio. Level: 3. Dark. Plant/Effect. Attack: 1200. Defense: 800.

Predaplant Darlingtonia Cobra. Level: 3. Dark. Plant/Effect. Attack: 1000. Defense: 1500.

"When my cobra is summoned from my deck I get to add Polymerization to my hand and I use it to fuse them together. Two beautiful flowers with an insect alluring fragrance! Grow a flower that'll smash the remains of my enemies! Fusion summon! Level 7! Predaplant Pawpaw Cyclops!"

Predaplant Pawpaw Cyclops. Level: 7. Dark. Plant/Fusion/Effect. Attack: 2600. Defense: 1600.

"So you can like your friends too." Yuya notes.

"I end my turn with this. You're move."

"Ok. Draw. With Scale 3, Performapal Seal Eel, and Scale 7, Performapal Slimecha, I set the pendulum scale. Now I can simultaneously summon level 4 to 6 monsters so appear my monster. Level 6, Performapal Elephammer! And when I pendulum summon a Performapal monster, I can special summon Performapal Oak Kane from my hand!"

Yuya's field shows a clownish and long seal over a 3 on one side and the other a slime-like robot with star-shaped googley eyes. He brings out his circus elephant with a hammer at the end of its truck and a wooden cane-shaped stick with oak leaves, a top hat on top and a grinning cartoon face.

Yuya's Scales: 3-7.

Performapal Elephammer. Level: 6. Earth. Beast/Effect. Attack: 2600. Defense: 1800.

Performapal Oak Kane. Level: 2. Earth. Plant/Effect. Attack: 500. Defense: 900.

"Well you have some unusual cards?" Yuri sweat drops. "But it doesn't matter. Pawpaw Cyclops' effect makes it so that every monster you control that have a level less than its level can't activate their effects."

"Well that's about to change because I use Seal Eel's pendulum effect to negate the effect of one face up monster so I negate your cyclops'. Next I play Smile World!" Yuya plays the magic card to cover the field with smiling faces and this causes Yuri to just trying to wrap his head around what's happening as all monsters get their boost.

Predaplant Pawpaw Cyclops. Attack: 2900.

Performapal Elephammer. Attack: 2900.

Performapal Oak Kane. Attack: 800.

Yuya has Performapal Oak Kane to attack first since it's effect lets him attack directly.

Yuri: 3200 life points. Hand: 3.

Then its second effect engages. When it deals battle damage to a player Yuya can increase the attack of a monster he controls by the damage dealt this turn so Elephammer gains 800 attack. Now that it's stronger, Elephammer swings its hammer down and completely destroys Yuri's Predaplant fusion. Yuya sets a card face down to end his turn and Smile World stops.

Performapal Elephammer. Attack: 2600.

Performapal Oak Kane. Attack: 500.

Yuri: 2400 life points. Hand: 3.

Just as Yuri is about to begin his turn, Serena and her group are resting up at rented motel room. When Serena goes out to get some more drinks from the manager her bracelet starts blinking blue.

"What the? Since when could this thing do this and how do I turn it off?" Serena questions then starts getting irritated. "Hey quit it! What are you a fire alarm because this is getting really annoying!"

She then immediately calms down when it feels like she can understand what the bracelet is trying to do. After deciphering it, she drops everyone's drink and runs off muttering only Yuri.

"Hey Serena! Did you get my soda? Huh, hey Serena where are you running off too." Sora shouts when he goes outside to see what's taking her so long, which get the attention of Asuka and Dennis.

At the same time as this, Yuzu also rushes to where her bracelet's leading her. She was on her way home like Yuya, but when her bracelet started beeping and felt Yuya was in some kind of danger from it, she just heads off to where he is just like how Serena heads to where Yuri is.

Back at the duel Yuri draws. "I banish the Predaplant Cordyceps in my graveyard so that I can special summon Darlingtonia Cobra and Ophrys Scorpio back to the field, but I can only fusion summon this turn. Now with Scale 1, Predaplant Venus Vampire, and Scale 5, Aldrovanda Fox, I set the pendulum scales!" Yuri's pendulum scales show his plant vampire and an orange and green demonic looking fox with plant roots growing from it over a 5.

Yuri's scales: 1-5.

"I activate Venus Vampire's pendulum effect to fuse my two monsters together to fusion summon a Dark fusion monster! Two beautiful flowers with an insect alluring fragrance! Now become one and from beneath your petals, give birth to a new power! Fusion summon! Level 8! Starving Venom Fusion Dragon!"

Starving Venom Fusion Dragon. Level: 8. Dark. Dragon/Fusion/Effect. Attack: 2800. Defense: 2000.

"When Starving Venom is summoned, I can choose a monster on the field and have him gain that monster's attack points this turn so I'll increase his attack by Performapal Elephammer's attack. That's not all, I can target one of my opponent's level 5 or higher monsters and until the end of the turn, he gains their name and effect. Meaning that the moment he attacks, all of your magic and trap cards will return to your hand. Now Starving Venom Fusion Dragon attack Yuya Sakaki's Oak Kane! Full Bloom Destruction!"

Starving Venom Fusion Dragon. Attack: 5400.

Before Elephammer's stolen effect activates, Yuya uses Performapal Slimech's pendulum effect by destroying it to reduce the damage to 0 and return Performapal Oak Kane to his hand since Yuri controls the strongest monster and it's attacking Yuya's monster, which is the weakest. The slimey monster leaves its pendulum scale to wrap itself around Yuya's monster and he's safe for now. However, Yuri then activates the pendulum effect of Predaplant Aldrovanda Fox. Since a fusion monster Yuri controls just attacked and Yuya still controls a monster, one that has a lower level than the original level of Yuri's monster, Starving Venom can attack again. The dragon does and this time Yuya takes the hit. Yuri sets a card and ends his turn with Starving Venom returning to normal.

Yuya: 1200 life points. Hand: 3.

"I got to say you're really tough, Yuri. I can't help but smile." Yuya admits.

"What's funny? Hearing that makes me feel the same way. Though I think you're playing style is just plain weird." Yuri confesses.

"It's my turn. Draw! I play Performapal Recasting. With this card, I shuffle every Performapal monster in my hand into my deck then I draw the same number of cards plus one." Yuya shuffles Oak Kane and Seal Eel into his deck and draws his three cards. One of them being his own dragon. When he sees Odd-Eyes something triggers inside him that compels him to play it no matter what.

"Ok first I summon Performapal Sword Fish! When he's summoned I reduce all monsters on your field's attack points by 600 until the end of the turn and I, of course, pick Starving Venom."

Performapal Sword Fish. Level: 2. Water. Fish/Effect. Attack: 600. Defense: 600.

Starving Venom Fusion Dragon. Attack: 2200.

"Next I play the magic card Level/Scale Swap! I send a face-up pendulum monster from extra deck to the graveyard so that I can special summon from my hand a pendulum monster whose level is equal to the sent monster's scale or it has a scale that's equal to the sent monster's level. In this case, I'm sending Scale 7 Performapal Slimecha to my graveyard so that I can special summon the level 7 Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon!"

Odd-Eyes Pendulum Dragon. Level: 7. Dark. Dragon/Pendulum/Effect. Attack: 2500. Defense: 2000. Scale: 7.

Before Yuya can activate Performapal Sword Fish's effect again since he special summoned a monster and weaken Starving Venom further, both dragons let out powerful roars as if they were expecting each other to show. This causes Yuri and Yuya to stop what they're doing and clutch their chests as they start experiencing serious pain.

Then things got worse.

The same light produced by the Arclight Gate appears in front of them and Yuto and Yugo both appear. All four see each other and are shocked that they have their faces as well. This quickly gets interrupted when each of their dragons start roaring at each other causing each one to experience crippling pain and scream in agony. Austin tries to go comfort Yuri, but the moment he approaches the red student, Yuri gets covered in a dark aura that forces a blast that shoots Austin back far. All four boys also get a dark aura around them while they scream. Then their dragons stop roaring and, while still covered in the aura, all four calm down and get back onto their feet but they start acting differently.

"We will become one." Yuya says as his eyes glow red.

"We will become one." Yuto says as his eyes glow grey.

"We will become one." Yugo says as his eyes glow blue.

"We will become one." Yuri says as his eyes glow pink.

" _ **I win!"**_ Zarc gloats to himself from inside each of them.

However, the Arclight Gate didn't just transport Yuto and Yugo. Rin and Ruri also got sent to the Standard Dimension as well, but they're so consumed by the light from their bracelet, which starts beeping even crazier just like Serena and Yuzu's in the distant, and run off to where their respective male counterparts are.

While they run toward them Shun and Crow, who's on his D-Wheel, compose themselves and start looking for the girls while calling their names until they spot each other.

"You!"

"What are you doing here? Are you responsible for this?" Shun accuses Crow.

"Are we really doing this? I'm looking for my friends but if you really want a duel." Crow seethes.

"I don't have time for this! I got to find Ruri!" Shun runs off calling out for Ruri.

"For once I think we can agree on something."

Back with the dragon boys, their duel discs enter battle royale mode and now that they're Zarc's puppets, Zarc starts ordering them to focus on less flashy moves and just defeat each other so that they can complete their desire to become one. While Zarc's dragons hate the idea of losing on purpose, they want their master back no matter what. It's technically Yuya's turn and he's about to make his move.

Until.

"Yuya!"

"Yuto!"

"Yugo!"

"Yuri!"

All four of Ray's pieces appear and see them, but the moment they appear their bracelets release a bright light of pink, blue, green, and yellow. When the light fades, Shun and Crow appear and all they see is Austin in pain.

Moments later, Asuka, Dennis, and Sora also appear after they saw the bright light.

"Who are those two?" Asuka asks referring to Crow and Shun until she spots Austin and goes to him. "Austin! What happened and where's Yuri and Serena?"

"Serena? She was here? I don't know, but Yuri was here. He was doing this guy named Yuya Sakaki then something odd happened." Austin says.

"What do you mean odd?"

"I have no clue?"

Standard Dimension.

Somewhere in Maiami City, a blue light shines and Yuya appears. His duel disc terminates the duel since there are no opponents and he turns back to his old self with no recollection of what happened. When he looks around, he sees no one but Yuzu.

"Yuzu, what happened?" Yuya goes up to her then notices something odd about her. "Wait, Serena?"

"Yuya Sakaki? Wait where's Yuri? I thought I some him?" Serena asks.

"I was dueling him and then I don't know it's all a blur."

"Of course. Even more odd stuff." Serena groans.

Xyz Dimension.

Like with Yuya, Yuto's duel disc terminates the duel and he doesn't recall what happened and goes to a girl he thought was Ruri.

"Ruri, Ruri, Ruri. Are you ok? Can you say something to me Songbird?" Yuto grabs the girl he thinks is Ruri until he gets hit in the head by a paperfan.

"Let go of me you creep!" Yuzu yells.

"Not Ruri."

Synchro Dimension.

Ruri is lying the ground with her eyes closed after being shaken up from everything. She starts to slowly open her eyes when she hears someone.

"Hey. Hey. Hey. Are you ok?"

"Yuto?" Ruri questions when she sees a familiar face.

"It's not Yuto! My name's Yugo!" Yugo shouts. When Ruri notices whose talking to her, she shrieks and instinctively pushes Yugo back. This causes him to roll down the hill they're on and hit his D-Wheel by accident.

Fusion Dimension.

Both Yuri and Rin appear somewhere on Academia's grounds. Yuri notes he's back before he turns his attention to Rin.

"It looks like we are back at Academy Serena. Wait a minute, you're not Serena." Yuri notes.

"And you're not Yugo."

"Just my luck." Yuri sighs.

" _I'm sorry girls, but I need one of you to be with one of the boys at all time. No matter which one."_ Ray apologizes after viewing all of this.

Standard Dimension.

At Leo Corp., both Reiji and Leo get emergency calls by the company to come by to see something. When they got to the companies surveillance lab, they were told that they were detecting high duel energies of fusion, synchro, pendulum, and xyz summoning. Then they were shown the video featuring Yuya, Yuto, Yuri, and Yugo in the park dueling with Yuto and Yugo suddenly appearing. Reiji's naturally shocked to see this but Leo is literally shaken up. The video then shows the bracelet girls appearing and their respective bracelets glowing before all eight disappear. Then it shows Crow, Shun, followed by Asuka's group showing up.

"What does any of this mean?" Reiji questions before he turns and sees father screaming and moving about wildly. Leo completely loses it before he collapses on the floor muttering only one word. Zarc.

"Get my father medical help now! As for the video, I want the people who showed up after Yuya Sakaki and those look-a-likes of his disappeared brought here immediately for questioning! Use force if necessary! I don't know what the hell's going on, but I tend to find out!" Reiji orders.

 **OC Cards**

Goblin's Clearance Sell. Normal Magic.

Destroy all magic and trap cards you control: draw a card for each card destroyed this way +1.

The Phantom Knights of War-Torn Bags (Dark/Level: 3/Warrior/Pendulum/Effect/500/1300/Scale: 5).

Pendulum: Once per turn, you can discard a card to add a The Phantom Knight's card from your deck to your hand.

Monster: If this card is in your graveyard, you can send the top card of your deck to the graveyard to put this card face-up in your extra deck. When this card is special summoned, you can discard a card from your hand to add a The Phantom KNight's card from your deck to your hand.

The Phantom Knights of Dark Uniform (Dark/Level: 4/Warrior/Pendulum/Effect/1000/1500/Scale: 2).

Pendulum: Once per turn, you can pick a monster you control with a level and a Dark xyz monster you control. The selected xyz monster gains a level equal to the first selected monster's level until the end of the turn.

Monster: When a Phantom Knights card is banished, you can add this card from your graveyard or face-up in your extra deck to your hand.

The Phantom Knights of Mysterious Knapsack (Dark/Level: 4/Warrior/Effect/Attack: 0/Defense: 1900).

This card can be treated as two xyz materials for the summoning of a Dark xyz monster. Except for the turn this card is sent to the graveyard: you can banish a The Phantom Knights monster from your graveyard to special summon this card.

The Phantom Knights of Feared Morningstar (Dark/Rank: 4/Warrior/Xyz/Effect/Attack: 2400/Defense: 2000).

3 level 4 monsters.

When this card battles, you can remove an overlay unit to negate the battle. Then the opposing monster loses attack equal to the number of Phantom Knight cards in your graveyard or banished x200.

Speedroid Sunction Darts (Wind/Level: 2/Machine/Effect/Attack: 700/Defense: 500).

If you control a Speedroid monster, you can special summon this card from your hand. If this card is used to summon a Wind synchro monster, target monster your opponent controls loses 400 attack and defense until the end of the turn for each synchro material used.

Speedroid Boostinggrabber (Wind/Level: 7/Machine/Pendulum/Effect/Attack: 1800/Defense: 2500/Scale: 5).

Pendulum: Once per turn, you can special summon a tuner monster from your graveyard if its original level is between your current pendulum scale but its banished when it leaves the field. Then you can increase it's level by 1 for each Speedroid monster you control.

Monster: Once per turn, you can special summon a level 6 or lower tuner monster from your graveyard or hand and reduce this card's level by the exact same amount as the summoned tuner monster's level. If you synchro summon using this card after using this effect: banish this monster.

Performapal Slimecha (Water/Level: 6/Aqua/Pendulum/Effect/Attack: 1000/Defense: 2000/ Scale: 7).

Pendulum: When your opponent's monster with the highest attack on the field attacks an attack position monster you control with the lowest attack on the field: you can destroy this card to reduce the damage to 0. If the monster you control was a Performapal, Odd-Eyes, or Magician card: send it to your hand instead of the graveyard.

Monster: Once per turn, you can equip this card to a Performapal, Odd-Eyes, or Magician monster you control. It gains 1000 attack points and 2000 defense points. If it were to be destroyed, you can destroy this card instead.

Performapal Oak Kane (Earth/Level: 2/ Plant/Effect/Attack: 500. Defense: 900).

When you pendulum summon a Performapal monster, you can special summon this card from your hand. This card can attack directly. When this card deals battle damage, you can increase the attack of a monster you control by the damage dealt until the end of the turn.

Predaplant Aldrovandi Fox (Dark/Level: 3/Plant/Pendulum/Effect/Attack: 1300. Defense: 1000. Scale: 5).

Pendulum: When a fusion monster you control attacks and destroys a monster and your opponent controls another monster with a level lower than your monster's original level: the fusion monster can attack again.

Monster: This card can attack every monster your opponent controls with a level less than or equal to its level. When it attacks a monster with a Predator counter, it gains 700 attack during the damage step only.

Level/Scale Swap. Normal Magic.

Send a pendulum monster face-up in your extra deck to the graveyard then choose one: *Special summon one pendulum monster from your hand whose level equals the sent monster's scale. *Special summon one pendulum monster from your hand whose scale equals the sent monster's level.

 **Notes: Yeah now things are starting to get crazy.**

 **A part of me hates this chapter because I know a number of moments like how the boys get to the same place for the 'we will become one' scene to be contrived. Hopefully the stuff involving Zarc and all the other character moments put in will balance it out.**

 **Not much else to say except that I'm glad I finished writing this chapter.**


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